Tekken Keizu: Blood Feud
by bestrclfanficshere
Summary: Book 2 in the Tekken Geneology. Heihachi creates a lot of problems for his father and sires the next generation of the Mishima bloodline. Reviews welcome and typically speed updates to the series.
1. The Pact

**Blood Feud**

_Awaken, child…_

Kazuya slowly opened his eyes, surrounded by darkness and wondered if he was dead.

_No. Not dead. Not yet…_

Trying to sit up, he realized after trying to bear weight on his arm that it was broken. Every part of his body ached and he struggled to recall what had happened to him.

_He did this to you._

He screamed as he remembered being hurled into the ravine by his father, then broke into sobs. Wracked with pain he curled into a fetal position and cried, "I don't want to die."

_I can save you._

"Who's there?" Scanning the black void around him frantically, Kazuya couldn't pinpoint where the voice was coming from. It almost sounded like it was coming from inside his head.

_Do you wish to live?_

"Yes!" he begged the unseen speaker.

_What would you do in order to live?_

"Anything!" he sobbed.

_Look at me, boy._

Raising his eyes, he screamed again at the sight of the apparition that floated before him. An enormous figure with large black wings hovered in the air, surrounded by a faint halo of blue light. His face frightened Kazuya, not only because he had horns, but he also had a third eye and his pupils were tiny slits that floated in his red irises. Grinning at him, the monster showed two rows of razor-sharp teeth and brandished a set of long curved claws on either hand. "Wh-who are you?" Kazuya stammered.

_I am your salvation._

"What does that mean?"

_It means that I can save your life – that I can make you stronger than the man who wounded you, but in return you must do something for me. In exchange for your life, do you swear to do my bidding?_

"If I can live, yes, I promise, I'll do whatever you ask!" The monster revealed his gleaming teeth in a wide smile and narrowed his eyes.

_Excellent. I grant you your life and with it great strength but from this moment forth you belong to me, and you will serve as my vessel in this realm. Together, we shall bring chaos into the world that will defy all comprehension. _

Dissolving into a blue haze, Kazuya watched as the demon enveloped him and felt him enter his body. It was a strange sensation, but already the pain he had been experiencing began to slip away. Going limp, he lost consciousness again.

A small beam of light danced over the bottom of the canyon. Wielding a flashlight, Jun continued to search for Kazuya's body, hoping beyond hope that there was some way that he was still alive. Having searched the bottom of the gorge for almost three hours, she was beginning to become disheartened when she saw him lying not ten feet from her. Running to his side, she dropped to her knees and turned him over. His arm had been twisted into a funny angle and he was covered in cuts and bruises but he still breathed. Slinging one of his arms over her shoulder, she tried to hurry, not knowing how much time he had left.

Upon waking this time, everything was white and again Kazuya wondered if he was dead but when his vision came into focus, he saw that he was in a hospital. Looking over, his right arm was set in a cast and his cuts had been cleaned and plastered. Trying to figure out how he got there, he didn't see Jun poke her head into the curtain. "Kazuya-_kun_? _Daijobu_?"

Recognizing her, he nodded mutely. When he saw her smile, he felt a bit more relaxed. "Where am I?"

"The local hospital."

"How – how did I get here?" he asked.

She looked down at the ground. "When you fell, I climbed down to look for you. It was a miracle I found you and I got my father to help carry you out of the chasm. He called an ambulance and they brought you here. It's a miracle you survived."

Oddly enough, he couldn't remember anything after he had been thrown into the ravine. "I don't remember what happened after I fell."

She shuddered. "How could your father do that to you?"

"I don't know," he replied.

Looking at him with concern, she asked in a tiny voice, "What will you do now?"

"I don't know that either," he mumbled with a faraway stare. "I can't go back – he might try to kill me again, or worse." Observing his cast, his brow furrowed and his bewilderment was replaced by anger. "I won't go back, not until I'm strong enough to make him pay for what he did!" At his harsh words, Jun drew back, unsure that he had actually said that. Then as quickly as it came, the cloud that hung over him departed and he resumed his child-like demeanor.

"You can come stay with me," she offered softly.

He glanced up in surprised. "What?"

"I'll ask my father," she smiled. "I'm sure he won't say no. Just until we figure out where you can go, I mean."

Touched by her compassion for him, he simply nodded, "_Arigato_."

* * *

_arigato_: thank you


	2. The Plot

_Tokyo, Mishima Zaibatsu Headquarters_

"Mishima-_sama_?"

"Yes?" Jinpachi was trying to make sense of why he had been suddenly called back to the office from his vacation. Surveying the records and logs, everything was in order and there was no emergency that required looking into.

His secretary hesitantly walked into the room with an anxious expression. "Sir, I…" Her words trailed off before she could even finish the sentence.

"For god's sake what is it?" he demanded impatiently.

She looked at the floor, unable to meet his eyes. "I have just received word that your grandson has fallen to his death. I am so sorry, Sir."

Not sure that he had heard correctly, he asked, "Say that again?"

"Your grandson, Kazuya, is dead," she repeated quietly.

Jinpachi sat down in his chair heavily, feeling as though he would pass out. "How do you know this?"

"We received a call from one of his nannies who was told by a witness of his death."

The thought that Kazuya was gone was unbearable. He had been the son that Jinpachi had always wanted in Heihachi's stead and he couldn't believe that he was dead. "What happened?"

"Apparently he was playing near a very deep chasm and accidentally fell," she reported sadly.

"My little Kazuya," he whispered. "Did – did they find his body?" His voiced shook as he finished the awful question.

She shook her head. "No, sir. They – they think that perhaps an animal took it away as there were drag marks found in the bottom of the ravine."

"Th-thank you. That is all." He turned in his chair to look out the window. Knowing she had been dismissed so that he could grieve privately, she softly closed the door as she exited. "Kazuya," he said with anguish. "I should have been there! I'm so sorry, Kazuya. Forgive your foolish grandfather." Putting his head in his hands, he began to weep.

Walking past his father's secretary, Heihachi threw her a sidelong glance and she looked away guiltily. It had been a challenge to ensure her full complicity with his scheme as she genuinely liked his father, but having skillfully manipulated her, he knew that she was all too aware what would happen if she exposed him. The roll of film he had locked in his safe of her naked, bound and gagged was all the insurance he needed. Not that she had posed willingly – some chloroform took care of that, but now she was trapped and her loyalty, however reluctant, belonged to him now.

Knowing it was of the utmost importance that his father remained ignorant of his awareness of Kazuya's whereabouts, he would feign total ignorance of his death. Had he not blackmailed his secretary into disclosing his travel itinerary, he never would have been able to find his son or create the little diversion that would distract his father. Pleased beyond measure that all the pieces of his plan were beginning to fall into place, he wiped the smile off his face and entered the office.

"So, father, I have the reports from the new investments I've made. You said you wanted to see – " He paused and pretended to be confused by his father's distressed behavior. "What is it?"

"Kazuya is dead!" A fresh bout of tears stung his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he said disinterestedly.

"Your son, my grandson, is dead!"

Heihachi knew to continue playing the neglectful father. "Oh, well I guess that's worse for you since I never saw the boy. Since you're so upset, I'll come back later." Jinpachi was so heartbroken that he didn't even bother to get angry with his son for his callous attitude of the boy's death. Reassured that his father didn't suspect him in the slightest, Heihachi decided that soon, it would be time for the control of the _zaibatsu_ to switch hands, permanently. "Have a nice day, Hiroko-_chan_," he sneered at the secretary before leaving. The miserable look on her face was the icing on the cake of his victory.


	3. Fact vs Fiction

The pediatricians were astonished at how quickly Kazuya recovered from his fall. After only a few days in the hospital, he looked as if he had merely been in the middle of a scuffle rather than thrown off a precipice. His cast would remain for a few months but after that they doubted there would be any residual damage. Walking back to their home with Jun and her father, he was silent the whole way and appeared to be deep in thought. When they reached the house, he bowed and thanked her father for allowing him to stay and went outside to look at the cliff. Standing at the edge, he looked down into what seemed like an endless emptiness and felt a wave of terror rush over him. Feeling lightheaded, he fell to his knees.

"Kazuya-_kun_!" Running to his side, Jun pulled him away from the edge of the chasm. "Are you nuts? What did you do that for?"

"I don't know," Kazuya replied weakly. I just…had to look again – to see if it really happened. It doesn't seem real to me."

"Don't scare me like that!" she cried angrily. "What if you fell in again?"

"_Gomen_," he murmured faintly. She helped him lay down further away from the cliff's edge.

_It has begun, little one._

"What did you say?"

Turning to look at him, Jun gave him a puzzled look. "I didn't say anything."

"Oh, I could have sworn I heard you say something."

"Well, I didn't. Come inside, okay?" Steadying him by his arm, she led him into the house.

Jun's father smiled kindly and ushered Kazuya into a spare room. Thanking him, Kazuya hesitantly asked, "_Ano_, Kazama-_san_?"

"_Nani_, Kazuya-_kun_?"

"_Onnegai-shimase_. I wish to let my grandfather know that I am okay, but I can't contact him directly as I don't want my father to know that I am still alive. He might try to kill me again."

He felt terrible, knowing that the boy's own father had tried to murder him. "How can I help you, Kazuya?"

"If you could send a letter to my grandfather's house addressed to my nanny. Just to inform him that I'm still alive_. Ji-ji_ must be so sad, thinking that I'm dead. I don't want him to be."

Smiling, he nodded. "Give me your address, Kazuya, and I will send a letter immediately."

"_Domo arigato_, Kazama-_san_." After bowing his thanks, he gave his address to Jun's father.

* * *

In Tokyo, Jinpachi was making preparations for his grandson's funeral. The same heavy feeling hung over him that had been present when Hanai had died and it made him so sad to think that he would be laying a second set of ashes next to her. His tears had shown no signs of stopping and though he felt as if he couldn't cry any more, still they came incessantly. Mopping his eyes, he tried to pull himself together.

"Mishima-_sama_." His secretary's head poked into his office door.

Composing himself, he cleared his throat. "What is it, Hiroko?"

"Your…grandson's nanny is on the phone. She wishes to speak to you."

"Put her through." Picking up the receiver, he cleared his throat again and said, "_Moshi-moshi_?"

"Mishima-_sama_, I have a final request before I leave your employ," the elderly voice on the line said slowly.

"Of course, _Ba-chan_. Anything," he promised.

There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Would you do me the honor of coming to see me in person for this request?"

The mysterious nature of question puzzled him, but she had devoted the last few years of her life in helping to raise Kazuya and he could not deny her. "I will be at your home later this evening."

"_Domo_. I will be waiting."

Hanging up the phone, Jinpachi finished making the last arrangements for the funeral service to be held tomorrow and tried to focus his attention back to his business. It made him uneasy to think that with Kazuya gone, Heihachi would likely take control of the _zaibatsu_ once he retired and he certainly couldn't afford to slip now.

* * *

Telling his driver to wait outside with the car, Jinpachi entered the tiny home of Kazuya's favorite nanny. A tiny wisp of a woman, she had a kind face and had been a loving maternal figure to Kazuya since his mother's death. He knew that the news of the boy's death had been every bit as hard on her as it had been for him. She beckoned him inside with a wave of her wrinkled hand. Bowing respectfully, he still towered over the tiny woman. Sitting on his knees before her, he tried to keep his voice even and steady in spite of the sorrow seeing her brought him. "What is it that I can do for you?" He was puzzled when she put a finger to her lips.

"I must tell you something, Mishima-_sama_, but I had to bring you somewhere private so that you and you alone would hear what it is I have to say." Her voice was barely audible to him.

"_Ba-chan_, what is the matter?"

She looked him directly in the eye. "You must swear to me that no matter what it is I tell you, you will maintain an air of stoicism afterwards. Do I have your word?"

"You do." He wondered what it was that she could possibly need to tell him.

Folding her bony fingers together in her lap, she kept her face neutral when she said, "Mishima-_sama,_ contrary to what you've been told, your grandson is not dead."

* * *

_ano_: excuse me, um

_onnegai shimase_: may I make a request of you

_ji-ji_: gramps

_moshi-moshi_: hello (on the telephone only)

_ba-chan_: granny


	4. The Plot Subverted

"_Nandakorya_?!"

The old woman set her lips in a thin line. "Mishima-_sama_," she reminded him sternly, "you remember the condition upon which I promised to give you this news. Do not forget yourself."

Trying to regain some semblance of nonchalance, Jinpachi's voice shook slightly as he asked, "Please, say that again?"

"Kazuya is not dead," she repeated.

If she was having him on, he would never forgive her. "H-how do you know this?"

She pulled a piece of paper out from behind her. Wordlessly, she handed it to him with both hands. Opening the sheet with trembling fingers, Jinpachi read:

_To the caretakers of Mishima Kazuya, _

_I have been asked not to disclose who I am or where I am located, but the child wished his grandfather to know that he is not in fact dead. He survived being thrown off a high cliff by none other than his own father and he does not wish his whereabouts to be known as he is afraid that he will attempt to kill him yet again. However, he did not want his grandfather to needlessly grieve over his death and requested that this news be delivered to him through his nanny who he felt was the only person he could trust not to betray him. He will contact her again but will not return to Tokyo until he feels his father is no longer a threat to his safety. The boy is alive and well, and hopes that his ji-ji has not been too distressed by the false news of his supposed death._

JInpachi resisted the urge to crush the paper in his fist. Noting the mounting fury in his face, Kazuya's nanny softly warned, "Compose yourself, Mishima-_sama_. If it is true that Heihachi was responsible for Kazuya's supposed death, his treachery runs deeper than you know, and there is no telling where his people are." Nodding, he handed her back the piece of paper, which she held over a candle, destroying it.

When he was finally able to find his voice, he looked at her and said, "How do I know that this is true? There is no proof to corroborate any of what is said here."

Watching the last bits of the letter blacken, she replied, "I have no way to confirm that it is true, but in my heart, it sounds like something Heihachi would do. The letter contained no return address, but it was postmarked from the same region in Kyushu where you and Kazuya had visited."

"That wretched animal," Jinpachi swore. "How could he do that to his own son?" It dawned on him now, why it made no sense that he was called back to Tokyo. The only reason the pretense had been made was to separate him from Kazuya. "I will not let him win," he vowed. "In order to prevent him from becoming suspicious, I will proceed in all things as if Kazuya truly had died. I must find a way to thwart Heihachi's murderous ambitions." He bowed deeply to the woman. "_Arigato, Ba-chan_."

"Be careful, Mishima-_sama_," was her only warning.

Getting into his car, Jinpachi ordered the driver back to his home and tried grasp how great was Heihachi's subterfuge. In order to keep Kazuya safe from any potential designs his father may have had, Jinpachi had made every attempt to ensure that Heihachi was not aware of the boy's comings and goings, but if it was possible for him to find Kazuya and create a distraction so that he could not protect him, his influence in the _zaibatsu_ had to be considerable. For all he knew, even his driver was one of his spies.

Trying to appear as if nothing had changed, Jinpachi quietly looked out the window as he returned home. Kazuya was alive! The news lifted the stony weight of grief from his heart and simultaneously lit the fires of anger within him towards his son. In light of these events, it was apparent now more than ever that he had to maintain a constant guard against Heihachi.

Kazuya's funeral proceeded as planned, and Jinpachi was glad that Heihachi was conspicuously absent from the ceremony, as he was not completely confident that he could maintain an air of ignorance if he were to see his face. After the funeral, he erected a small marble headstone next to Hanai and put on a fair show of profound grief for the staff present. _I am thinking of you, Kazuya,_ he thought to his grandson.

* * *

"Your grandfather should have received the letter by now, Kazuya-_kun_," Jun's father told him kindly.

"_Arigato_, Kazama-_san_." He'd been worried about how his grandfather was doing and hoped that he felt better now.

"Well, it's getting late," Jun's father observed. "Why don't you get some sleep?"

"Thank you, I will." Walking past Jun's room, he glanced inside and saw her in her pajamas kneeling by her windowsill. Peering closer, he saw that she was feeding a squirrel. The tiny animal was taking scraps directly from her hand. Sensing that she was being watched, she turned slowly and looked at him.

"This is Biko. He visits me sometimes," she explained in a hushed voice.

"He's so tame!" Kazuya marveled.

Jun grinned as the furry guest grabbed another chunk of nut from her open palm. "Biko-_chan_ likes his nuts, eh?" she cooed. The squirrel simply stuffed more food into his cheeks, giving him a less than dignified appearance. She scratched him behind his pointed ears and he closed his eyes contentedly

"Can I pet him?"

"Sure, he's super friendly." Jun waved him quietly over to where she was crouched.

Tentatively sticking out his good hand, Kazuya tried to move slowly as he reached out to pet the animal but was startled when it gave an angry screech and bolted off the windowsill. Puzzled, he asked, "Did I scare him?"

Jun watched his furry behind as he scampered into the night. "I don't know. He's never done that around me before. Maybe it's because he doesn't know you." She left the remaining nuts on the windowsill in case he decided to come back for seconds. "Good night, Biko-_chan_!" she called out.

"You're really good with animals," he said with admiration.

Giggling at his compliment, she simply said, "Thanks."

"Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Mm. G'night."

Turning, he bid her goodnight and walked to his room. Lying down in the unfamiliar bed, he felt the same strange feeling he had experienced for the last four nights – a strange restlessness within him, as if his mind could not stop racing. Though he felt tired and wished to go to sleep, he couldn't stop thinking about his fall and the look on his father's face when he had pitched him over the edge of the cliff. Strangely though, the memory no longer caused fear in him. In fact, he felt the exact opposite – an overwhelming need to punish his father for what he had done.

_In time, little one._

Kazuya bolted upright and looked around the room. "Who said that?" There was no answer and the only sound was the soft breeze that moved the curtains over his window. Telling himself that it was only his imagination, he pulled the covers up to him and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

_nandakorya_: what

_ba-chan_: granny

_ji ji_: grandpa


	5. Homecoming

"Kazuya!"

A now sixteen-year old Kazuya walked up the familiar path to the Kazama residence and after almost a decade of being mostly secluded in the mountains of Hokkaido, it felt strange to be back on the island of Kyushu. Having not seen him in nine long years, Jun excitedly ran to meet him and the corner of his mouth curved in a small smile when he heard the sound of her voice. "_Sashiburi-dana_, Jun," he greeted her when she finally reached him.

Somewhat breathless from her sprint, she took a moment to catch her breath and studied his appearance. Much taller than her now, Kazuya's skinny frame had filled out considerably and the changes that puberty had brought were striking. His voice had deepened, his chest and shoulders had broadened but what struck her most was the change in his demeanor. The little boy who left nine years ago had been warm, albeit a bit introverted after his trauma, but the young man in front of her had a harder, colder edge to him. Expecting his enthusiasm to match her own, she was surprised and slightly hurt that his smile barely reached his eyes. For the most part, his face was inscrutable but she could still see that he was in fact pleased to see her. Throwing her arms around him, she hugged him tightly. "It's so good to see you again! Welcome home!"

Caught off guard by her exuberance, he dropped his duffel bag and hesitated a moment before slowly returning her hug. "_Arigato_," he returned quietly. When he had left to study martial arts, Jun was only seven and had remained so in his mind, so it took a bit of getting used to that the young woman with her arms wrapped around him was the same girl. Her hair was still the same, cut about shoulder length and secured with a white headband, and her taste in clothing hadn't changed much, but the body that filled them was much more developed. Now her khaki shorts snugly encased her new hips and thighs and he could see the outline of her bra through her plain white T-shirt.

"_Doshta_?" Her voice broke his reverie. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Unaware that he had been staring at her, he snapped to and apologized, "I'm sorry, it's just that you look so different."

"So do you!" She poked one of his biceps. "Got a license for those guns?"

"Guns? I don't own any firearms," he said, confused.

It took her a moment to realize that he had taken her joke literally and when she did, it made her laugh merrily. Kazuya did not appear pleased about being laughed at. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, Kazuya," she giggled. "I keep forgetting that you were a hermit for nine years. It's slang. Guns are a nickname for biceps. I was complimenting you on your arm muscles."

"Oh." His serious expression relaxed a bit. "Well, thank you."

"How about me?" She did a little pirouette in front of him. "Do I look like you expected?"

"Uh, no, not really," he replied.

She seemed a bit crestfallen at his bland response. "Do I look bad?"

"What? Oh, no! I didn't mean it like that," he objected. "You look very nice."

Sticking her tongue out at him, she looked more like the Jun he remembered. "Yeah, thanks a lot." She reached for his duffel bag but he held onto it firmly. "What? I was going to help you carry it."

"It's fine, I can do it."

Letting go of the strap, she looked at his face, which was still so stern. "Kazuya, is something wrong?"

Without changing his expression he asked, "No. Why?"

She blew out a puff of air that lifted her bangs momentarily off of her forehead. "I don't know. You just seem so _serious_." She said the last part of the sentence while doing an impression of his face, knitting her brows together and glowering. Though he cracked a small smile at her impersonation of him, Kazuya's demeanor remained otherwise stoic. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He thought about it for a moment and conjectured, "Perhaps it's because I've been away from other people for so long."

Having never considered it, she had to admit that his explanation did make sense. Deciding to leave the subject alone for the moment, she took his hand and pulled him towards the house. "Papa will be so glad to see you!"

Entering the house, Kazuya felt nostalgic looking at the place that had been his foster home prior to leaving for his martial arts training. Not surprisingly, very little had changed in the years of his absence. Having started life with a silver spoon in his mouth, he knew that Jun and her father didn't have a great deal of money but they had nonetheless looked after him as if he were one of their own without ever complaining of the additional financial hardship and he had never forgotten it. Walking into his room, he surveyed the spare furnishings and set his duffel bag on his old bed. Pulling out a large wad of yen notes wrapped in paper, he set it aside and closed the bag.

"_Ddang_, _ddang_." Standing in the doorway, Jun knocked on the wall and crossed her arms. "So, home sweet home?"

"Exactly as it was when I left," he mused.

"Hungry? We made dinner in honor of your homecoming."

"Sure. Be there in a minute." Putting the money in the pouch of his worn hooded sweater, he followed her into the kitchen.

"Kazuya! So good to see you!" Jun's father smiled broadly as he stepped into the room.

"Kazama-_san_, thank you for having me back in your home," he returned, bowing.

"You are always welcome here, you must know that," her father said warmly.

Taking the money out of his sweater pouch, Kazuya respectfully offered it to him with both hands, his head lowered. "Please accept this."

Jun's father waved it away. "Kazuya-_kun_, I cannot take that."

He continued to hold it out to him, looking at the floor. "Please, it is a sign of my thanks to you. It would grieve me deeply if you were to refuse." Patiently, he waited with his hands extended.

"Papa, he really means it," Jun urged. "Just take it."

Taking the wad of bills from his hands awkwardly, he thanked him. "Kazuya-_kun_, you really didn't have to do this."

"I know, Kazama-_san_, but I wanted to." His voice was earnest.

"Well, I don't know about you two," Jun broke in, "but I'm hungry!"

"That's right, Jun cooked a very special meal in honor of your return," her father said, smiling.

"That sounds wonderful. I have not had a home cooked meal in so long."

Giggling, Jun pushed them both towards the dining table. "_Dozo_." When the three had sat down, it made her so happy to see Kazuya really tuck into his dinner. He said very little during the meal, but she hoped it was because he was enjoying it so much. When they had finished, she brought out some red bean _mochi_ for dessert.

Sighing contentedly, Kazuya leaned back in his chair and patted his stomach. "That was amazing, Jun. You really outdid yourself."

Blushing at his complement, she pretended to be cleaning some dishes so he couldn't see her pleasure at his comment. "Oh, it was no big deal," she said breezily.

The night was very peaceful and the only sound other than Jun's fussing in the kitchen was the noise of the cicadas and crickets outside. "Would you excuse me? I think I will get some air," Kazuya bowed, pushing his chair back.

"Of course," her father nodded. "I have to get to sleep soon anyhow. I must be getting old. And I'm sure that you and Jun must have a lot of catching up to do." Patting him on the shoulder, he said, "Good night."

Jun continued to pretend that she was absorbed with the dishes so that she could watch and see what Kazuya would do. Walking out of the house, he stood outside and stared at the sky, then walked out of her line of sight. Drying her hands, she went outside to see where he went and found him on his knees at the edge of the cliff he had been thrown from. "What are you doing?" she shrieked.

Turning calmly, he met her eyes and answered, "Just looking."

"_Baga_! You could fall in!" She began pulling him away from the edge.

"Jun, I won't fall," he assured her quietly.

"Why would you want to look down there anyway?"

Shrugging, he said, "I don't know. It's been over ten years since I looked into that gorge. I wanted to see how it would make me feel."

She let go of his arm. "Well, how did it make you feel?"

"I felt nothing really. It's almost as if it never happened." His eyes wandered to the chasm again.

"Well, don't go near it while I'm around, okay?" she ordered. "It makes me nervous." She felt relieved when he simply nodded. Wanting to change the subject, she asked, "Where did you get all that money?"

"I earned a little here and there," was the vague response.

"How?"

Arching a brow, he looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "Why do you want to know?"

Putting her hands on her hips, she looked disapprovingly at him. "Why don't you want to tell me? Did you _steal_ it?"

Offended at the notion, he shot back, "Of course not."

"Well, then how did you get it?" Crossing her arms, she waited for his reply.

Seeing that her curiosity would not be appeased, he explained, "I won the money."

"Won it doing what, exactly?" Her expression was one of skepticism.

"Fighting."

Not understanding, she blurted out, "Huh?"

"I haven't been at the dojo in a few years." Lying down, he put his hands behind his head and looked up at the stars. "For the last two years I've been sort of wandering around Asia trying to perfect my fighting skills. Street fights mostly. There's usually a lot of betting involved, but the money I gave your father was from my winnings."

Surprised, she didn't know what to say except, "There was a lot of money there."

"Yes." He continued to survey the constellations.

"You must be pretty good," she guessed. The stack of bills he gave her father was the size of a small brick.

"I do okay," he said modestly.

Confused, she wondered aloud, "Why did you leave the dojo?"

"I kind of didn't have a choice."

"What do you mean?"

Closing his eyes, he was quiet for a minute and finally said, "Jun, let's not talk about this now, okay?"

Though she was dying to know what had happened, she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. "Okay then. Will you get some sleep?"

"I'll be in momentarily," he promised. As she walked away she thought she heard him say, "Almost time."

"Almost time for what?" she echoed.

Not realizing that she had heard him, he paused for a moment and haltingly said, "Almost…time for bed."

Though it sounded odd, she bid him good night and went to her room to prepare for bed. _He's so odd now_, she thought to herself. _Something isn't right about him. _Looking out her window, she could see Kazuya still lying down where she had left him, but when she looked closer, she could see that his lips were moving and he was mumbling something to himself. She didn't know why, but something about it made her extremely uneasy and she made herself get in bed so she wouldn't have to see him doing it.

Still lying on the grass, Kazuya stared at the black dome of the sky.

_It will not be long before he will pay in full for his treachery._

Kazuya's face contorted into an eerie smile. "No, not long at all," he said to the emptiness around him. "Not long at all…" He began laughing softly to himself, not knowing that Jun could hear the disturbing sound from where she lay.

* * *

_sashiburi-dana:_ long time no see

_doshta_: what's the matter

_ddang_ _ddang_: knock knock

_dozo_: this way

_mochi_: rice cakes

_baga_: idiot


	6. Decoy Discovered

Signing the last of the paperwork, Jinpachi pushed his chair away from his desk and looked out the floor to ceiling windows of his office. The brightly lit streets of Tokyo sparkled beneath him, creating a colorful nighttime landscape of neon signs and electric billboards. God, he was tired. As the _zaibatsu_ continued to expand, he delighted in its progress but the amount of work it created was becoming overwhelming for one man. Though he'd been reluctant to do so, he was forced to assign Heihachi a progressively larger role in the management of the business. To his astonishment, his son had taken to the work quite well, even surprising him by exceeding his expectations. Jinpachi was ambivalent about the fact that his son was actually proving himself to be a shrewd businessman, simultaneously pleased, suspicious and proud. Heihachi had even left off pursuing his sexual conquests, choosing instead to focus all of his time on his work.

Looking behind him, he saw the photo of himself and Kazuya that he had kept on his desk since his disappearance. He was three when the picture was taken. Seeing the smiling face of his grandson, he wondered if he would even recognize Kazuya if he were to see him on the street. The boy would be sixteen now. Did he blame him for failing to protect him? Was he angry that he had to live in hiding, afraid for his life? Running his fingers over his face under the glass, he suddenly missed Kazuya greatly. The last eleven years had been busy, but incredibly lonely for him. Setting the photo back in its place, he put on his suit jacket and turned the light off in his office. As he had stayed late, Hiroko had already gone and the building was deserted save for the security guard he waved goodnight to. The only thought he had now was how much he needed to sleep.

* * *

On the other side of town, Heihachi was just beginning his evening, entertaining some new business prospects in an upscale lounge in Roppongi. "Yamasawa-_san_," he greeted his prospective client, "so good of you to join me." Indicating the seat across from him in the private VIP room, he called a cocktail waitress over the intercom and ordered the most expensive sake in the house. "Warm, please," he specified. Turning back to his guest, he smiled and said, "I thought you would find our meeting more pleasant if we had some company."

The older gentleman's face mirrored his smile as two girls who looked as if they could be no more than thirteen walked through the door and pranced over to their couches. Their hair tied back in pigtails, they wore their middle school uniforms and leggings as if they had just gotten out of class with the exception of the fact that the waists of the skirts had been rolled up, shortening the hems, and their shirts had been cropped, baring their flat bellies. The skirts were so short that the navy blue bloomers that schoolgirls usually wore during gym class could be seen peeking out from underneath the pleats. Giggling, they bowed and said "_Irashaimaseh_!" in unison. Without waiting to be asked, they sat on either side of Heihachi's guest and hooked their arms through his. The lecherous grin on his face confirmed that Heihachi's intuition about his pedophilic tendencies was correct. The girls were actually seventeen, but he didn't need to know that, as he appeared to be enjoying himself.

"You really know how to make a person feel at home, Mishima-_san_," Yamasawa beamed, never taking his eyes off the jailbait flanking him.

Pouring him a cup of the sake, Heihachi handed it to him with both hands. "I look forward to a long and prosperous business relationship with you and your associates. I trust you will find my terms more than fair."

Taking the sake, he titled his head back and drained it. "Pour me another, little girl," he ordered, holding out his cup. Smiling, she dutifully did as he asked. "I like your style, Mishima-_san_, and your sharp nose for business. I am certain that with the financial cooperation of the Mishima _zaibatsu_ that this venture will bring many great returns for both of us." He lifted his cup in a toast to his host.

"You honor me with such undue praise," Heihachi returned genially. "To our partnership."

After a few hours of drinks and conversation, Yamasawa, who was now more than a little drunk, enthusiastically groped one of the girls as he slurred, "One thing I don't understand, Mishima-_san_. Your father was always so resistant to investing in weapons technology. Why now does he change his mind?" He ended his sentence with a pointed hiccup, causing the girls to titter.

"My father's way of doing business is archaic, a relic of a bygone era," he explained. "As the successor to his business, I plan to lay the ground roots to steer the Mishima _zaibatsu_ in a more modern direction. To the strong go the spoils and my father must learn to be less…squeamish about his investments." He smiled conspiratorially. "Leave everything to me. In the meantime, I request that we keep our dealings out of plain site to, shall we say, give him time to make the adjustment?"

Understanding his innuendo, the man laughed and held up his glass again. "To a long and profitable partnership," he toasted. Raising his own cup, Heihachi bowed and drank. Now that their deal had been cemented, Yamasawa turned his full attention to the two teens. Heihachi had taken great care in his choice of entertainment, scanning the local talent until he found two that he knew would be perfect for his guest. Having an inkling of his tastes, he had been specific in his instructions to the girls on how to dress and had even thrown in an extra added touch to ensure that Yamasawa was pleased. Clumsily pulling off the first girl's bloomers, he sharply sucked in his breath with a hiss when he exposed her bare mons. Waxed, of course, but he didn't know that. Pulling out a Polaroid camera, he snapped a few quick shots in case they might prove useful later. Fanning the photo, he smirked when the photo of Yamasawa with his tongue buried in the girl's smooth lips came into exposure.

The other girl watched them, a lewd smile on her freckled face. About to push his finger on the shutter button, he lowered the camera and studied her for a moment. Unable to shake the vague feeling that he had seen her somewhere before, he tried to place where he could have met her but his mind continued to come up blank. As Yamasawa began to paw open her legs, Heihachi snapped a few more photos, deciding not to worry about it just then.

When the paper had exited the camera, he again fanned it to speed the exposure. Examining the girl's face closely, it finally dawned on him why she looked so familiar. In the photo that he had just taken, her face looked almost identical to the photos he had seen of his deceased mother. The resemblance was uncanny. It was almost as if his mother had been preserved in time for all those years. His intense scrutiny of her features was interrupted by the loud moaning from the couch and he glanced up from the picture to see his mother's doppleganger mounted atop Yamasawa's erect penis while her counterpart rocked back on forth on his mouth as he licked her with relish. Taking a few more photos, he waited until they were all completely dry and discreetly tucked them in the inside pocket of his jacket as the two girls screamed in unison as they came. Grunting like an animal, Yamasawa ejaculated with a loud groan and promptly passed out. Breathing heavily, the girls both crumpled on top of his unconscious bulk, his semen running down the inside of the look-alike's leg.

Watching the spent group, an interesting idea began to form in his mind. Leaving a large tip for the waitress, he paid the bill and requested that his guest be seen back safely to his hotel. Leaving the first girl still collapsed on his face, Heihachi grabbed the second one by the arm and dragged her into his car, not bothering to put her underwear on. Slumping against the seat, she continued to grin inanely, her fluids leaking onto the expensive leather of the seat. "Clean yourself up," he ordered gruffly, tossing her a handkerchief. Without even looking up, she lifted a leg and mopped up the mess. "Did you have a good time tonight?"

Nodding with satisfaction, she murmured lazily, "Yesssss."

"What's your name, girl?"

"Misano," she purred. She stretched lazily against the seat exposing a long expanse of tummy.

"And what do you do for money, little Misano-_chan_?"

She narrowed her eyes and opened her legs a little more. "I think you know," she teased, rubbing her freshly waxed skin suggestively. "Did you want to fuck my little cunt, too? I still have some energy left."

Heihachi grinned. Not only was she a spirited one, she was obviously extremely kinky as well, which was perfect for the scheme he had in mind. "_Utskushi_ Misano-_chan_, how would you like to make a million yen?" he asked.

Though his offer piqued her interest, Misano still looked at him suspiciously. "How would I not? But what's the catch, mister?"

So she was crafty too. This could prove to be a problem. "Just a few things. I need you to pose as someone else in order to seduce an enemy of mine." Tilting his head to one side he added, "He's almost sixty, and you'll have to have sex with him – often, the more the better, but if you can trick him into falling in love with you, during this whole process, I'll give you an apartment, cover all your expenses and when this is over, you'll get a million yen, hard cash."

"Why are you offering _me_ this generous deal?" she asked dubiously.

Playing to her vanity he answered, "Because your particular look is one that I know he won't be able to resist. It won't be all fun and games though. I'll have to train you to completely look and act the part of his dream girl and I will require your services for at least a full year in order to properly implement this charade. Also, and this is of the utmost importance – you cannot reveal that you are at all connected to me in any way." Leaning back in his seat, he lit a cigarette and took a leisurely drag. "So, Misano-_chan,_ are you interested in my offer?" He lazily blew out three perfect smoke rings as he waited for her response.

A bored expression on her face, the girl shrugged. "Yeah, why the fuck not?"

"Excellent," he said with approval. Her lack of class would require attending to, though. Dropping her off at the nearest street corner, her eyes flashed greedily as he handed her a stack of bills. "A little incentive," he leered as she eagerly snatched the money out of his hands. The little harlot began counting it right in front of him. "Be at this clinic tomorrow morning," he instructed her after writing down an address. "9 AM sharp, and I dislike tardiness."

"What for?" she asked tartly, still fingering the money.

"Don't ask so many questions, little girl," he said silkily. "I consider myself to be a very tolerant man, but even my vast reserves of patience have limitations." The threatening undercurrent of his voice was not lost on Misano and she felt a momentary chill race down her spine and began to wonder what she had gotten herself into. "Tomorrow at nine," he repeated. "Get some rest, Misano-_chan_." Rolling up his window, he ordered his driver home. This was going to be so much more fun than the every day run-of-the-mill coup. It would mean putting off the takeover for another year, but the pleasure he would get when his plan came into fruition would be more than worth it. As of late, he'd been so busy with work, it had left him little time to indulge his sadistic urges, but as he'd, he had discovered that being patient in the beginning could bring even more satisfying torture to his victims. "_Chichueh_, you are undone," he murmured sarcastically before breaking into laughter.

* * *

_irashaimaseh_: welcome

_utskushi_: lovely

_chichueh_: father, extremely formal, usually reserved for royalty


	7. What's My Motivation?

Misano made sure to be at the clinic at the appointed time. A million yen in addition to one year of all her expenses paid was no small chunk of change and she didn't want to screw this golden opportunity up. Though prostituting herself brought a decent amount of money, it would be nice to only have to service one john for an entire year as well as having a regular place to stay instead of the never ending string of seedy love-hotel rooms. Some of her patrons were so depraved, and she was starting to get the feeling that her new employer was a bit on the freaky side as well. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she jumped slightly and turned to see Heihachi's face staring at her.

"Good morning, Sakura," he greeted her cheerfully. "How's my girl, today?"

"My name's _Misano_," she corrected him.

Setting his jaw, he repeated in a less friendly tone, "As I said, good morning, _Sakura_."

Shaking a little under his gaze, she stuttered, "_H-hai_, good morning, sir."

"That's so much better." Taking her elbow, as he walked her through the clinic doors he explained, "So, Sakura-_chan_, we're here getting you a checkup before you go off to college. Just don't say anything and leave everything to your father – me. Understood?" Too afraid to object she nodded meekly and followed him into the examining room. "Well, get undressed and gowned up," he ordered abruptly. Wordlessly, she stripped and did her best to cover herself with the flimsy paper gown.

"_Ohaiyo_," the gynecologist welcomed them, as he stepped through the door. Flipping through her chart, he nodded as he surveyed the questionnaire Heihachi had filled out and muttered a few things to himself before setting it down. "Right, so a Pap and pelvic, urinalysis, urine pregnancy test, RPR, Gonorrhea and Chlamydia screen, HIV test, IUD placement, and hymen reconstruction. Did I miss anything, sir?"

"What?" Misano wasn't quite sure what all the things he had just said meant.

Heihachi placed a hand in warning on her shoulder. "Let Papa take care of everything, Sakura-_chan_," he said smoothly. She gulped slightly at his touch and tried to hide her fear as the doctor slid on a pair of gloves. After instructing her to place her feet in the stirrups, he told her to scoot down further and after spreading her legs slightly, he inserted a speculum into her. She squealed as the cold metal came in contact with her vaginal walls.

"Just relax," he assured her calmly. "You're doing fine." After locking the speculum in place, he pulled out a large bristled brush and began scraping her cervix.

"_Ittai_!" she cried out, squirming on the examining table.

"_Ittai-janeiyo_!" her "father" snapped. "Now stop squirming and hold still!" She balled her fists and tried to ignore the rasping pain in her abdomen.

"Now remember, Sakura, it is normal to have a little bit of bleeding after the Pap smear," the physician warned as he rubbed the bristle onto a microscope slide. Squirting a small layer of fixative onto the preparation, he added, "A small amount of cramping is also sometimes experienced." She didn't care if she bled or cramped afterwards. She just wanted the horrible ordeal to be over. After swabbing her cervix with a few more tools, he pulled out the speculum to her great relief but after lubricating his fingers, he inserted two fingers into her lips and began pushing down on her abdomen. "Everything feels in order," he mused aloud, looking up as he palpated her ovaries. "But I suppose it should at only seventeen." Withdrawing his fingers, he handed her a plastic cup capped with a blue screw top lid. "The nurse will tell you how to clean yourself properly and how to fill this up."

"Fill it up with what?" she asked ignorantly, taking it in her hand.

"With urine," the gynecologist said simply. "The bathroom is over there." Turning his back to her, he resumed talking with Heihachi. "Yes, I could see how that would create an obstacle to getting married," she heard him agree.

Her face burning, she followed the nurse's instructions in order to ensure a clean urine sample and filled the small sample cup as best as she could. Handing the warm container to the nurse, she was led to a chair and a tourniquet was tied to her arm. "What are you doing?"

"Drawing blood," she replied. Misano tried not to look at the needle she was preparing. God, she hated needles. They were usually the main reason she avoided doctor's offices.

After removing three or four vials of blood, the nurse returned her to the examining room. Placing her back in the stirrups, she brought over a mask attached to a tank of some sort of gas and a tray with two very large syringes capped by cruel-looking needles resting upon it. The doctor turned on the gas and began to place the mask over her face. She tried to sit up, not knowing what was going to happen when she heard his voice in her ear. "Sakura-_chan_, remember what we discussed." Hearing the veiled threat in his soft words, she lay back and prayed that her nightmare would be over soon. After a few minutes, she fell unconscious and the doctor was ready to begin the two minor procedures.

Feeling someone slap her face, she groggily came to still lying on the examining table. "_Yosh_, that about does it," the doctor said with a smile. "Don't worry, I put enough local anesthetic that you shouldn't be too uncomfortable," he told her.

Her head fuzzy, she simply nodded and tried to clear her mind as Heihachi helped her get to her feet. "Thank you, _sensei_. I'll take it from here."

"I'll phone you with the results," the doctor said affably. "Have a good day."

Misano's body was still slack from the effects of the anesthetic. Efficiently putting her clothes back on her, he helped her out of the examining room and into his car. Giving his driver an address, he smiled, feeling pleased about his accomplishment. Guiding Misano up the stairs, he led her into her temporary apartment and laid her down on the bed, patiently waiting for her to recover her senses. About an hour later, she was fully alert.

Looking around the apartment, she asked, "Is this mine?"

"For the duration of the arrangement, it is," Heihachi confirmed. "Your false apartment is a little more appropriately plebian in appearance, but you only need to be there if you're expecting your target."

Feeling a sharp cramp in her abdomen, she winced. "What did he do to me?" she demanded, feeling panicked.

"Just a little preparation for your performance," he grinned. "After all, I can't have you popping out babies or giving my enemy any sort of venereal diseases that would conflict with your, shall we say, virginal character, can I?"

"I'm not a virgin," she pointed out. _This guy must be pretty stupid,_ she thought to herself. After all, he'd hired her to fuck the fat old man last night in the bar.

His smile broadened even more. "You are now," he told her with a triumphant smirk.

"What?" She looked down at her belly in fear. "What did you do to me?"

"Well, since Sakura is a virgin, I need Sakura to bleed the first time her lover penetrates her. I had the good doctor place a few stitches in your pussy to achieve just that effect. It might hurt a little bit, but every girl's first time does, doesn't it? He laughed at his own joke.

Dumbstruck by what she was hearing, she couldn't think of anything to say. "And will I have to take birth control?"

"No, the IUD should take care of that. You're completely free to enjoy yourself."

"IUD?" she echoed. "What's that?"

"Intra Uterine Device," he explained. "It's a birth control device that's implanted directly into your womb. It will keep you from getting pregnant until it's removed. Convenient, no?" Coming over to the bed, he sat down and she tried not to shrink away from him, which was hard considering how violated she felt. "Now, listen to me well, Sakuran-_chan_," he began icily. "Papa has done a great deal of work to ensure that her body is as pristine as possible given her lurid profession. He's going to be very upset if she does anything to ruin his handiwork, so you are not to engage in any sort of sexual activity with anyone other than the man I tell you. Do we have an understanding?"

"_H-hai_," she whimpered.

"Good girl, Sakura." Standing up, he motioned for her to do the same. "Time to go shopping. We need for you to look the part."

Misano looked with distaste at her reflection in the department store mirror. The clothes he had picked out wouldn't seduce anyone – drab A-line skirt, conservative button down shirt, brown loafers and underwear that was just as unexciting. "I thought you said I had to get this asshole to sleep with me," she muttered.

"This is what he likes, Sakura-_chan_." Hearing him call her that was beginning to get on her nerves.

"How boring," she said disdainfully.

"Come along, Sakura-_chan_," Heihachi called. "Time to check out." When they had returned to her apartment with Misano still dressed in character, Heihachi sat her down. "Now, I need to you to be in character 24 hours a day 7 days a weeks when we begin our little game. This girl you're pretending to be is a sweet, chaste, even timid, and proper girl. So first things first, no more swearing."

She looked at him wryly. "That's going to be hard. It's kind of a habit for me."

"I'm sure we can motivate you to clean up your mouth," he vowed confidently. "So, in the interests of getting you into character, from now on, I'm Papa and you're Sakura. Any deviation from character will upset me, so I suggest you try very hard to take on the role." Misano began to regret becoming involved with him. She had seriously underestimated how crazy this guy really was. Not wanting to find out what would happen if she disappointed him, she meekly nodded again without saying anything. "Good, a promising start," her "Papa" noted with approval. Walking her over to the dining area, he sat her in a chair and ordered some food to be brought up. "Now, let's see what Sakura's table manners are like, shall we?"

A half hour later, Misano was reeling from the crash course in etiquette that she had to endure. When the food finally arrived, she was ravenous, and forgetting to remain in character, she began to dig in. Heihachi's face plainly showed his disgust at her uncouth display. "Sakura-_chan_," he warned, "mind your manners. A lady is refined when she eats."

"Give me a break. I'm hungry," she said through a mouthful of rice.

An angry expression briefly flitted over his face. "A lady doesn't talk with her mouth full or speak defiantly towards her betters," he added.

Distracted by her rumbling stomach, she continued to eat and sneered, "Sorry I'm not a fucking lady, Papa." She barely had a chance to swallow when she fell off her chair after Heihachi slapped her cruelly. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" she demanded angrily.

"I'm your Papa, remember? No swearing, Sakura-_chan_. It disappoints Daddy."

"Fuck you," she spat. "You're not my fucking Papa and I don't have to put up with this fucked up bullshit! I'm out of here. You can shove your million yen up your ass for all I care! In fact, you'd probably enjoy that, you fucking pervert!" Getting to her feet, she was about to walk out the door when he yanked her back by the arm with such force that he nearly dislocated her shoulder. When she glared at him he simply slapped her again, no less forcefully than the first time. Again she found herself on the floor, her face stinging.

"You disappoint me deeply, Sakura," he hissed, undoing his belt. Quaking with fear, Misano's hand flew to her reddening cheeks as she watched him pull the leather free of the belt loops. "One way or another, you _will_ learn to do as you're told…"

* * *

_ohaiyo_: good morning

_ittai_: it hurts

_ittai janeiyo_: it doesn't hurt

_yosh_: good, well done

_sensei_: teacher, doctor


	8. Disappointing Daddy

"You can't do this to me," Misano squeaked, dismally failing in her attempt to appear in control of the situation. "I'll tell the police," she threatened. "They'll arrest you and put you in jail!"

Heihachi threw his head back and laughed at the idea, frightening her even more. "Stupid girl," he drawled, snapping the belt menacingly in his hands. "Do you think anyone's going to believe a cheap whore like yourself?" Kneeling down next to her, he took her chin in his hand and looked directly into her face. "Besides, forget the police," he whispered softly. "You won't even live long enough to tell them anything because I'll happily kill you first, and not quickly either. There are many delightful things I could do to you before you beg to die." The eager look in his eyes confirmed that he was deathly serious about what he promised and she began to shake even harder. Looping his belt around her wrists, he bound her arms behind her back so that she couldn't move.

"That hurts!" she screeched. This garnered her another hard slap to the face and she could feel the skin stretching as the swelling began to set in.

"Not as much as this will," she heard him say behind her.

Turning her head to look over her shoulder, she nearly screamed when she saw that he had removed his pants and was stroking eight inches of his meat while staring at her ass. "No! You can't!" Her mind raced feverishly for something to stop him. "You'll break the stitches!"

Again he laughed, with greater amusement. "_Baga_, Sakura-_chan_," he cooed softly. "Do you really think I would go through all that trouble just to ruin my masterpiece in a moment of passion?" He easily tore away the plain white cotton underwear she was wearing and taking his thick organ in his hand, he rested the dark helmet of his head at the tight skin of her anus. "This will do for the time being, until you learn to mind your manners. See? Problem solved. Isn't it nice how resourceful Papa is?" It excited him when he felt her jump at the sensation of his skin on her asshole and he slapped her ass hard. "When you act like a cheap whore, Papa will treat you like a cheap whore. It's that simple. I warned you not to disappoint me, didn't I?" he admonished. "Why couldn't you have simply listened like a good girl? Papa really _hates_ repeating himself." He clucked his tongue as she struggled to keep his dick out of her backside.

Allowing her to mistakenly think for a moment that she could actually wriggle away from him, after a few minutes, he finally couldn't stand it any longer and zealously plunged into her ass. Screaming, she tried to dislodge the foreign object inside her and cried out in agony as he forced himself deeper and deeper into the pink tunnel of flesh. Misano had performed anal sex before, but her customers had always used lubricant, and even then she usually charged double what she normally did because of how uncomfortable it was. The friction Heihachi's dry penis generated caused tears to stream from her eyes, as his girth was never meant for the tight orifice. "Very good, Sakura-_chan_," he complimented as more and more of him disappeared inside her. "You bring Papa such pleasure." He grunted victoriously when he felt his scrotum slap against her behind. "So good," he moaned, grasping her hips.

"_Onnegai_!" she begged. "_Yamite-kudosai_!" She was rewarded with many more rapid, brutal thrusts. "Please! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I'll do whatever you say! For god's sake, stop! You'll break me!"

Heihachi felt something warm and wet on the floor and laughed derisively when he found that she had peed on herself. "Oh, did you have to go to the bathroom, Sakura-_chan_?" She said nothing and simply cried harder at the humiliation. "Did you forget your name? What is your name?!" he barked as he humped her rectum. When she remained silent again, he thrust into her so hard that she actually slipped forward, lifting her ass higher, which was better for him and decidedly worse for her, as it allowed him to delve deeper inside her. "Your name, whore!"

"Sakura!" she sobbed. She felt like she would split open any minute.

"And who am I?" he demanded as he continued to rape her from behind. Watching her suffer, he knew he wouldn't last much longer and he could feel his balls tightening at the base of his cock.

"My – my Papa!" she screamed.

"And are you going to continue acting like a little whore when it upsets your Papa?" He made sure to impale her even harder after asking the questions.

"NO! GOD, NO! I SWEAR! I'LL BE A LADY FROM NOW ON, PAPA! I'LL DO WHATEVER YOU TELL ME TO DO! I'LL NEVER DISOBEY YOU AGAIN!!!"

Her desperate cries caused an explosion within him and he felt his balls spasm as they pumped his cum inside her. When he had finished, he pulled out of her quickly so that his ejaculate wouldn't have a chance to lubricate her as he exited. The sight of her prostrate on the floor, sobbing, her ass in the air, bleeding and dribbling his cum was a beautiful sight to him. Tilting her chin up, he saw that one eye was nearly puffed shut from where he had slapped her. "Good thing we have a month or so together before you actually move on to the real thing," he told her, grinning as her eyes widened in fear. "Should be enough time for the swelling go down. After all, we have to wait for your snatch to grow back, don't we?" She shrank away from him and curled up in a ball, still sobbing. Undoing her arms, he sighed contentedly and said, "Well, I believe I'll go to the office and get some work done. Papa will be back later tonight for more lessons, Sakura-_chan_. _Ja-na_." The sounds of her cries rang pleasantly in his ears as he descended the stairs to his car. Getting into the seat, he stretched lazily. He'd forgotten how much fun it was to humiliate women. This would prove to be an unexpected benefit to his scheme.

Lying on the floor in a puddle of her own urine, Misano couldn't stop crying. Being taken so vilely reminded her of being a child when her greatest fear was if her stepfather would sneak into her room and abuse her at night while her drunken mother snored, passed out in the adjacent room. The beatings, the rape, the cruelty, it was almost exactly the same and she wondered how she had managed to put herself back in such a horrible situation, though what her stepfather had done was nothing in comparison to the mind games her new abuser had played. The pain in her ass was unbearable, and she didn't want to know how much she was bleeding.

Feeling more violated than she ever thought possible, she dragged herself to the bathroom by her arms to clean herself up and prayed that she could move on to the other man soon. Heihachi had been right about one thing though. He had most definitely motivated her to do as she was told. Lowering her sore body into the bathtub, Misano vowed that if she ever got out of her situation alive that she would turn over a new leaf, but at this point, the minimum of a year seemed like an eternity.

After she had finished bathing, she looked once again at her face in the mirror and tried not to cry. The skin around her eye was starting to turn an aggressive shade of purple and was so tightly stretched it looked shiny. Holding back her sobs, she crawled into her new bed and tried not to move as every part of her lower abdomen hurt. Pulling the covers up to her shoulders, she fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

When she awoke, it was dark and she could make out the orange haze of the setting sun outside her window. Shifting gingerly in the bed, she nearly screamed aloud when she saw Heihachi sitting next to her on the bed, but his arm shot out and covered her mouth before and noise had a chance to escape. "_Konbawa_, Sakura-_chan_. I trust you slept well?" Quickly, she nodded, under his hand. "Good girl. I'm going to take my hand off now, so don't do anything that would disturb the neighbors, okay?" Again she nodded vigorously. Turning her face from side to side, he clucked his tongue in an avuncular manner and produced a small steak from the grocery bag at his side. Removing the paper, he held it gently against her face. When she shrank away in pain, he chided, "Sakura, Papa knows best. It will help bring down the swelling." Trembling, she allowed him to hold the meat against her skin. "See? Isn't that better?" His sudden change in demeanor only terrified her more and she tried to swallow her fear as she nodded again. Giving her a disappointed look, he said, "What do you say?"

"_Arigato_, P-papa," she squeaked.

"_Very_ good, Sakura-_chan_. Let's give you something to eat shall we?" Opening some containers, he brought over a tray and handed her a pair of chopsticks. Not wanting a repeat of the day's earlier events, she ate as demurely as she knew how and kept her head lowered the whole time. Lightly setting down her chopsticks, she softly said, "Thank you, Papa."

"That's my girl," he encouraged, stroking her hair. Misano resisted the impulse to recoil from his touch. Tucking her into bed, he gave her a paternal kiss on her forehead after taking the steak away from her. "Practice what you learned today while I'm at work tomorrow. I look forward to your performance. Good night, Sakura-_chan_." She watched anxiously as her captor left the apartment. Letting her breath out in a huge sigh of relief, she turned over and tried to go back to sleep.

* * *

_onnegai_: please, I'm begging you

_yamite-kudosai_: please stop

_ja-na_: see you

_konbawa_: good evening


	9. Prodrome

"Papa, could we talk for a moment?" Jun pulled up a chair next to her father who was reading a newspaper at the kitchen table.

"Of course, Jun." Taking off his glasses, he set down his paper and looked at his daughter. "What's on your mind?"

Her forehead furrowed, she leaned her chin on her hand as she spoke. "I'm worried about Kazuya," she began. Jerking her head in the direction of his room, she continued, "He's so isolative, you know? I mean, other than going outside to practice his karate, he stays in his room all day and only comes out for meals. He's barely said more than a few sentences to me every day and sometimes…" Lowering her voice, she looked behind her to make sure that he couldn't hear her. "I think he's talking to himself. It's kind of creepy, don't you think? And he didn't want any dinner tonight either."

Her father sighed. "I've noticed that too, but he's our guest and it's not our place to question him." Covering her hand with his, he smiled gently. "Give him some time, Jun. He's been on his own for a very long time. Maybe he just needs to adjust."

"I guess you're right," she conceded in a resigned tone. "Thanks, Papa." She kissed him lightly on the cheek before getting up.

"You're welcome, sweetie." He pricked up his ears as the phone rang and picked up the receiver. "_Moshi-moshi_? Hello, _oni-chan_! I – what?! My god, I'll be there as soon as I can!" Hurriedly hanging up the phone, he turned to Jun and explained, "Your cousin has been in a very bad car accident and is in the hospital! I have to go there immediately. Will you be alright on your own?"

"Of course, Dad. Plus, Kazuya's here. I think he can take care of the both of us." She motioned for him to go. "_Hayaku-yukeh_!" Grabbing his jacket and car keys, he bolted out the door to his car. When she heard the sound of the engine fade out, she knocked on Kazuya's door. The indistinct mumbling from inside the room stopped abruptly. "Kazuya, it's Jun. Can I come in?"

There was a long silence so she assumed that he didn't want her to come in. About to walk away, she was surprised when the door opened a crack. "Come in," his voice called. After she had entered his room, he told her, "Close the door please."

"Papa had to leave because of an emergency," she informed him. "No one's going to barge in on you."

"I'd still feel better if you closed the door," he replied flatly.

Puzzled by his odd behavior, she shut the door behind her and could barely make out Kazuya's form in the darkness. His curtains were pulled tight across his window. "Were you about to go to sleep?"

"No."

She looked around the dark room and seeing nothing, felt around with her hands. "Why are you sitting in the dark then?"

"I just prefer it," he said in monotone.

When her eyes finally adjusted to the dim light, she walked over to his bed and sat down next to him. Unable to keep her concerns hidden, she softly said, "Kazuya, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

His taciturn manner only worried her more. "Kazuya, I don't know how to say this. You're like…a completely different person! I feel like I don't know you at all. You sit in your room all day and barely say anything to us. I hear you talking to someone when it seems like there's nobody there. You don't eat much and the only thing you seem to be interested in at all anymore is your karate. What is going on?" After getting everything out in a rush, she waited on pins and needles for his answer.

He took so long to respond that she momentarily thought that he had ignored her question altogether, but he finally broke his silence. "You don't need to worry."

"That's _it_? That's all you have to say to me?"

"What more do you want me to say?"

Not knowing why she felt so scared for him, she caught him off guard by hugging him suddenly. "Kazuya, I'm really worried about you! This doesn't feel like you."

Still in disbelief that she had flung herself on him, he took a moment before speaking again. "Everything is fine."

Now she felt like crying. "Everything is not fine! Why are you holding out on me? I'm your friend, Kazuya, and I care about you a lot! It's not considerate of you to worry me like this!"

Feeling her shake in his arms, he felt a small twinge of remorse. "You…you wouldn't understand," he began hesitantly.

"I wouldn't understand what?" she repeated, confused.

Disentangling himself from her, he muttered, "Never mind. I shouldn't have said anything."

Shoving him harder than she intended, she cried, "Oh no you don't! Don't pull that nonsense on me! Finish what you were going to say!"

Her impassioned response caught him by surprise too. He was stunned that she was actually able to push him over. She was stronger than she looked. "Jun, don't."

Determined not to be put off so easily, she shook her head. "Kazuya, I'm going to turn on the light."

"No-"

Before he could object, she turned on the lamp next to his bed and let out a small shriek when she saw his face. In the diffuse light, he looked so odd. The only word that she could think of to describe his countenance was ominous. "Sorry," she stammered.

He regarded her stonily from under heavy-lidded eyes. "I told you not to do that."

He looked so haggard and drawn, ghostlike almost. Reaching out her hand, she touched his face lightly and was surprised when he withdrew from her. "Kazuya, please," she entreated him. "Don't shut me out. Tell me what's going on. What's happening to you?"

Again a long silence ensued. "Fine, but turn the light off first." Doing as he requested, she flicked off the light and waited. "So what do you want to know first?" he asked, once his face was hidden.

"Well for starters, why do you stay holed up in your room all day?"

"I can't explain it," he said with a shrug. "I just don't feel like going anywhere. I'm comfortable here."

"Then why do you sit in the dark with your door and curtains closed?" she pressed.

"I just…like being alone. I like my privacy." He waited quietly for her next question.

"What do you do all day, hidden away in here?"

"Nothing."

Exasperated, she retorted, "That's ridiculous. You must be doing something!"

"I don't know. Thinking I guess."

"What about?"

She heard his sigh float through the air. "Jun-"

"Kazuya, who is it that you're talking to when it seems like you're alone?" she demanded.

An eternity seemed to pass with no answer. "If I tell you, do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course. Now out with it."

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Remember when I was thrown off the cliff?"

"How could I forget? I was there when your dad threw you over." The memory still made her shudder.

"Well, I never told you what happened to me after I fell."

"What's there to tell?" she asked. "I found you and Papa and I took you to the hospital."

"No," he murmured. "Something happened in the time between when I fell and when you found me."

"Okay, what?"

It seemed to be quite difficult for him to put into words what he was about to say next. "Someone else found me, before you did, that is."

"Another person was in the ravine?"

"No, not exactly. Not a person anyway."

Now she was really confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I guess you could call it a spirit, or a demon, I suppose." He waited to see what her reaction would be.

"A _what_?"

"When I was at the bottom of the chasm, a demon offered me my life if he could inhabit my body. I didn't want to die, so of course I said yes." He saw her skepticism. "He's the one you always hear me talking to, except no one else can hear him because he speaks to me in my head."

"This spirit…talks to you?" she said incredulously.

"Yes."

Unable to believe what she was hearing, she asked, "And what do you two talk about?"

His voice hardened a bit. "That's none of your business, Jun."

Trying to process everything he had just told her, she sputtered, "Do you – do you have any idea how _crazy_ that sounds?"

"Why do you think I didn't want to talk about it?" he said matter of factly.

"Kazuya, there's no such things as demons!"

Lying down on the bed, he answered, "I figured that's what you'd say. Forget I told you anything, and not a word of this to your dad."

"Kazuya…"

"If that's all, I think I'm going to go practice." Getting up off the bed, he pulled on his sneakers and excused himself. The longest conversation they had had since his arrival and it revolved around delusions of being possessed by demons. Feeling even worse than when she had initially entered, she ran outside to where he was going through his forms. "I think I've said everything you needed to know, Jun," he intoned without looking up from his exercises.

"That's not why I came out." He stopped what he was doing and turned to face her. "Does – does the demon hurt you in any way? Does he scare you?"

Kazuya shook his head. "No. In fact, he takes care of me. Sometimes I feel he's the only true friend I have."

It made her so sad to hear him say that. "Kazuya, I'm your friend. Do I not matter to you?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then why shut me out?"

Another frustrated sigh escaped his lips. "Jun, the reason I spent the last two years wandering around Asia was because my _sensei_ told me I had no choice but to leave. He said that the devil inside me was polluting my mind and he didn't want such an evil presence in his dojo." He turned away from her again. "It's best if you don't get too close to me."

Not knowing what to do, she approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his waist. He turned around, ready to remind her to keep her distance, when she shocked him by pressing her lips gently against his. He'd never kissed anyone before. Other than her father, neither had she, but she held herself close to him and just let her mouth rest on his. Realizing that this was in fact happening, Kazuya slowly brought his arms around her to return her embrace. Enjoying the soft sensation of her lips brushing against his, he pulled her closer towards him. Blushing furiously, she broke out of his grasp and gasped, "Oh god, I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me." Before he could say anything, she fled into the house and dove onto her bed, covering her head with her pillow. "_Andda baga_?!" she cursed herself out loud. What the hell was she thinking, kissing him like that?

Outside, Kazuya stood mutely where she had left him and raised a finger to his lips, still in disbelief that she had kissed him. What surprised him even more was that it made him happy to see her so concerned for him. Though he knew that she was a kind person, he never expected her to care for him so much. Walking back into his room, he shut the door and lay on his bed, still absent-mindedly touching his mouth. Allowing himself a small chuckle of delight, he turned over and went to sleep, his demon protector temporarily forgotten.

* * *

_moshi-moshi_: hello (on the telephone)

_oni-chan_: big sister

_hayaku-yukeh_: hurry, go now

_andda baga_: are you stupid


	10. End of Innocence

The next morning, Jun's father called to say that he would be staying at the hospital with his sister while her cousin recovered. "There's some money in my dresser if you need it," he told her, "and you can call the hospital if you need anything else."

"We'll be fine, Dad," she assured him. "Let me know how Daisuke is doing, okay?

Hanging up the phone, she walked past Kazuya's room and heard the strange muttering again but still couldn't make out any words. Again when she knocked, the mumbling stopped. "Kazuya? You awake?"

"Yes."

"Can I come in?"

"I guess so."

Shutting the door behind her, she smiled uneasily. "_Ohaiyo_."

"_Ohaiyo_," he said blandly.

He must have woken up only a little while earlier, as he still had his shirt off. Having never seen a man shirtless before, she realized to her embarrassment that she had been staring at his upper body and quickly averted her eyes. "Dad's still at the hospital so it's just us for now. I guess my aunt's a mess. Anyways, uh…how'd you sleep?" she prattled, rubbing her toes on the floor. She stared at the ground in order to avoid ogling his six-pack.

"Fine, thanks."

Great, he was back to his usual reticent self. "What are you going to do today? Any fun plans?"

"I don't know. Train, I guess."

Not wanting him to retreat back inside himself, she shyly requested, "Kazuya, maybe this sounds dumb, but would you…teach me karate?"

This got his attention. "Eh?"

Blushing again, she repeated, "I want to learn karate. Why don't you teach me? Beats paying for an instructor."

Kazuya shot her a quizzical look, and when she giggled nervously, he relaxed a bit and nodded. "Sure, why not?"

Clapping her hands in glee, she laughed and said, "So what should I wear?"

"Something that gives you room to move around," he suggested.

"Okay. How about after breakfast?"

It was kind of cute how she was so excited about learning martial arts. "That's fine," he couldn't help grinning.

"Great!" She winked at him before bounding out the door. "Hope you like bacon and eggs!" Still laughing at her exuberance, he pulled on a T-shirt and made his way over to the kitchen where good as her word, Jun was laying bacon strips in a pan. He suddenly realized how hungry he was. "Coming through," she announced, as she heaped his plate with greasy food.

"Thanks, Jun." It made her heart skip to watch him tear into his breakfast. He seemed a little different since their kiss the night before, more alive. Trying not to be too obvious about watching him, she refilled the pan with bacon and continued to cook. Kazuya looked up briefly from his eggs to regard Jun as she expertly flipped an omelette and wondered why he had never noticed how pretty she was before today. Feeling his gaze on her, she turned her head and he quickly pretended to be absorbed with his meal. This was all getting to be a bit weird.

After the dishes had been put away, Kazuya changed into his _gi_ and waited for Jun outside. Though it was only ten in the morning, it was already very hot and only promised to get worse as the day progressed. Stretching in the shade of a tree, he heard footsteps behind him and turned around. Wearing a tiny white tank top and a pair of old running shorts, she asked, "Um, is this okay?"

Christ, the shorts she had on must have been from when she was still in grammar school, as they barely covered all of her ass. They were really more like underwear now than shorts and gave an unobstructed view of her slim legs. "Uh, yeah, that's fine," he nodded with a dazed look.

"Kazuya, are you okay?" She looked at him with concern.

"Oh yeah, fine," he said, laughing awkwardly. He had to remind himself that this was the same girl who he used to play with as a child. Clearing his throat, he motioned for them to begin.

After a few hours of walking her through the basics, the sun was high and the temperature had gone up about ten degrees. Both teenagers were covered in a thin layer of sweat when they finally stopped to take a break. "Thanks, Kazuya," she grinned, breathing heavily.

"You catch on fast," he said with approval.

"I had a good teacher is all I guess," she teased him.

Feeling very hot all of a sudden, he asked, "Uh, would it make you uncomfortable if I took my top off? It's getting really warm."

Hoping that her face wasn't flaming, she shook her head. "No, that's fine. It is pretty hot." She tried to look unimpressed as he took his shirt off. Apparently he was used to training shirtless, as she could seen a small band of untanned skin along the waistband of his pants. Damn, he had a fabulous body.

"Something wrong?"

"What? Oh, uh, no. Nothing," she giggled nervously. She made a mental note to be better about not staring so shamelessly at him. "Whew, it is really hot today, isn't it?"

Kazuya's face brightened. "Hey, let's go swimming."

Remembering the river where they used to take refuge during the hot summers, she smiled when she thought about how they'd both splash around like maniacs without even bothering to wear swimsuits. "That's sounds like heaven. Let me grab a few towels." When they reached the stream, she waded in until she was about knee deep and sighed at how cool the water felt on her feet. "_Kimochi_!" she squealed happily. Only wearing his boxers, Kazuya entered the water and was making his way to where she stood when he suddenly slipped and fell backwards into the water. The combination of the way he screwed up his face as well as the fact that he was rubbing his butt in pain caused her to laugh uncontrollably.

"_Urusai_!" he barked.

His indignation at being the source of her amusement only made her laugh harder. "I though martial arts was supposed to help you with balance!" she joked.

"_Konnoyaro_!" Rising to his feet, he tackled her, knocking her into a deeper part of the river.

"Hey!" she gasped, shocked by the cold water.

Smirking, Kazuya shrugged innocently. "What? I gave you a martial arts lesson this morning. What's your excuse?"

Annoyed at being taken by surprise, she stood up and yelled, "_You_ slipped. _I_ was knocked over." A sudden change in his facial expression silenced her and he stood rooted to the spot with his mouth hanging open. "What?" she snapped. Following his line of sight, she looked down and saw that the river water had turned her white tank top semi-transparent and her cold-hardened nipples were proudly visible under the wet fabric. "Oh my god!" Covering her breasts with her arms, she heard a loud splash and looked up to see Kazuya seated chest deep in the water. "What the hell was that for?"

"Nothing!" he shouted angrily. Thankfully, the cold water was rapidly shrinking his erection.

"I guess we have to start wearing bathing suits if we're going to do this, huh?" she grinned sheepishly.

Unable to stay serious, Kazuya began cracking up and they both laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation. "Come on," he said, still laughing. "Let's go grab our suits." Holding a towel to her front, she nodded in agreement. An hour later, they were enjoying themselves again without the concern of exposing their anatomical differences, although Kazuya did notice that even though he couldn't see her nipples directly, he could still see their outline as they poked through her suit. They were really quite nice actually and he had to sit down again when he found himself getting hard. Fortunately, Jun seemed oblivious to his problem and playfully splashed him harder whenever he immersed his lower half.

After cavorting in the water for a few hours, the two began to get hungry and decided to set off for home. "Just like old times, huh?" she sighed as they strolled back to her house.

"Yeah, just like old times," he agreed, except for the fact that now instead of thinking of her as a kid, he saw her as a woman.

Entering the house, she tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear and said, "I'll make us an early dinner."

"Okay. I'm feeling a little heat-stroked. I think I'll go lie down for a bit." She didn't respond, as she was already busy selecting pots and pans for the meal. Stripping off his trunks, he lay on top of the sheets and closed his eyes. He'd had fun today, even if there had been a few awkward moments. It was nice spending time with Jun and he had a new appreciation for her body after her mishap earlier. Remembering how enticing her breasts looked in her wet tank, his cock began to swell again and he didn't even notice that his hand had wandered down to work his stiffening shaft. Having never masturbated before, he groaned as he pleasured himself, the clear fluid escaping his head enhancing the sensation. Imagining her naked amplified the feeling and he fantasized about taking her nipples between his teeth. Unable to keep his voice down, he moaned ardently as he began approaching orgasm.

Hearing him from the kitchen, Jun walked over to his door, which was not fully shut and heard what sounded like groans of pain. Worried that he had somehow hurt himself, she flung open the door. "Kazuya! Are you okay? I – " She stopped midsentence when she saw him holding his erect prick in his fist.

"Oh my god, Jun!" he sputtered, right as he came. She watched mesmerized as long ropey streams of white fluid spewed out of him as he shook involuntarily from head to toe, his breath coming in short ragged gasps. The first few shots flew above his head, sliding down the wall in small gobs. The following spurts landed on his chest and abdomen. Not knowing what to do, she ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her. Wishing he could die right at that moment, Kazuya hid his face in his hands and muttered. "Shit." Sitting up, he observed the mess he had made and began cleaning himself off. A few minutes later, there was a tentative knock at the door. "Go away!" he snarled.

"Kazuya, I'm sorry, I should have knocked…I thought you were hurt," her contrite voice explained through the door. "Can I come in?"

"Hell no!" He could feel the blood rising in his cheeks. How was he supposed to stay in this house after the show he'd just put on for her? He'd never felt more embarrassed in his life and he doubted if he would ever be able to look her in the face again.

"Kazuya, please…" He strained to hear her words. Wait, was she _crying_?

"Jun, are you – are you crying?" he asked incredulously.

"No," she sniffled miserably. She was _definitely_ crying. "Please, can I come in?"

Slumping his shoulders in resignation, he pulled on an old pair of sweat pants and slowly opened the door. He nearly fell over when she hugged him anxiously.

"I'm sorry, Kazuya!" she sobbed. "I didn't mean to walk in on you! I was just worried about you! I should have knocked! That was so rude of me! Please don't be angry with me!" She began to cry even harder.

Kazuya couldn't believe that he actually felt like laughing. Here he was, mortified that she had caught him jacking off, and she was the one who was taking it hard. Relieved that she didn't seem to view him as a pervert, he put a consoling hand on her back and said, "It's okay, Jun. I'm not mad."

"Really?" She hiccupped and looked into his face. "You're not – you're not mad at me?"

He smiled wryly. "Well, it _was_ your fault that it happened in the first place."

Wiping her face with her hand, she sniffed, "What do you mean?"

Blushing, he looked away. "Nothing. Ignore what I just said."

"Was it because I kissed you yesterday?"

Laughing awkwardly, he said, "Well, that and the view I had earlier today."

Her cheeks colored and she looked down, still with her arms wrapped around his waist. "You got excited because of me?"

"Yeah," he grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, Jun."

To his shock, she grinned back. "Don't be sorry, Kazuya. Actually, I'm really flattered."

"Really?" He couldn't believe that she was serious.

"Really." She was quiet for a moment and added shyly, "Actually, you do the same for me, too."

Stunned, he didn't know what to say. "Are you pulling my leg?"

Giggling, she shook her head. "I like looking at you. I don't know why, but it makes me feel all dizzy to be close to you like this. Huh?" Looking down, she saw him tenting against her through his sweats.

"_Gomen_!" Ashamed, he tried to pull away but she held him close to her.

"Can I – can I touch it?" she asked hesitantly.

"Uh, sure, if you want to," he said lamely. His cock jerked when she ran her fingers over it.

"So hard," she murmured, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Can I…see it?"

His throat went bone dry and he tried to unstick his tongue from the roof of his mouth. "I – uh – I guess so." Hoping that she wasn't going to change her mind and slap him, he slowly lowered his sweatpants off his hips.

Her eyes flew open at the sight of his cock sticking straight out at her. "Are they usually so big?" Looking into his eyes, she asked, "Can I?" When he nodded, she took his shaft in her hand and gave it a little squeeze, causing him to moan. "Did I hurt you?" she asked nervously.

"No." His voice was breathless. "It feels…so good."

"The skin is so soft," she admired, lightly touching him. "It's like a baby's."

The fact that a pretty girl was expertly massaging his dick became too much for him and he threw her onto the bed and began kissing her roughly. After recovering from her surprise, Jun wrapped her arms behind his neck and began returning his kisses. One of his hands stole under her cotton summer dress and began playing with her breast, sending little waves of pleasure through her body. "Kazuya," she moaned airily.

"Just tell me if you want me to stop and I will," he panted, his face buried in her neck. He let out a cry as he felt her fingers encircle his cock. "God, Jun, you feel so good." Leaving her breast, he slid his fingers under the elastic of her panties and was amazed to find that she was wet. "You're all slippery," he observed, and bringing his fingers to his nose he sniffed first and then tentatively licked one of his fingers.

"Oh my god, Kazuya, that's gross, don't do that!" she squealed. She couldn't believe it when he began sucking his fingers hungrily.

"You taste really good," he said eagerly. "Can I taste you again?"

"Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked uneasily. "I mean it sounds kind of gro-OSS!" She yelped as he pulled down her panties and began exploring her with his mouth. Licking her impatiently, he briefly wondered if women were supposed to taste good when suddenly she howled, bucking against his jaw. He was about to ask her if she was alright when he felt something squirt onto his face. When she had calmed down enough to speak, she looked embarrassed and cried, "Oh no! Did I pee on you? Oh god, I'm so embarrassed!" She hid her crimson face in her hands.

"It doesn't smell like pee," he noted. "I think you did what I did when you walked in on me."

Her eyebrows flew up. "Can women _do_ that?"

"I don't know," he said truthfully. "But I wouldn't complain if you did it again."

She giggled at the happy expression on his face. Getting on her hands and knees she crawled to him and nuzzled his cock. "Can I see what you taste like?" He nodded and shivered as she licked the tip of his head. "Mmm, I like it," she grinned, before engulfing him in her mouth.

She had barely had him in her mouth for a minute when he cried, "Oh fuck, Jun, I'm going to lose it. I – " Feeling him twitch, she coughed as he sent a spray of hot semen into her mouth. Not knowing what to do, she swallowed the fluid. It was more bitter than the clear stuff, but not bad. "Sorry!" he stammered.

Giggling again, she wiped her mouth. "No, I – I kind of liked it," she admitted.

"Really?"

"Mm hm."

"Oh, that's a relief!" Kazuya sighed, falling backwards onto the bed. Suddenly he yawned. "I feel super sleepy right now for some reason."

Seeing him yawn, she felt one of her own coming on. "Weird. Me too. Wanna take a nap?"

"Sure." Scooting over to make room for her, she happily snuggled into his side and the two drifted off into a peaceful afterglow.

* * *

_kimochi_: feels good

_urusai_: shut up

_konnoyaro_: why you little

_gomen_: sorry


	11. Love and Loss

After eating a hastily thrown together dinner, the two teenagers eagerly withdrew back to Kazuya's room to continue their exploration of each other's bodies. The night air was cooler and a pleasant breeze wafted through the curtains. Shucking off his pants, Kazuya slid into the bed next to her. Rubbing her skin under her dress, he breathed into her ear, "Can I take this off?"

Even though she was scandalized by the thought, his hand felt heavenly on her thighs where he stroked her and she felt a burning need to touch as much of him as possible. "I – sure." She felt her skin color as he slipped the cotton sundress over her head and looked at the ceiling, feeling very shy.

"You're beautiful." His voice was somewhat awed as he took in the sight of her naked figure.

"Don't look at me," she whispered, trying to turn over.

"I want to look at you," he murmured, holding her in place. Leaning over her, he began rubbing his face on the skin of her belly, enjoying the satiny sensation. Using his tongue, he began to taste her salty skin and loved how she sighed as he licked her. Almost level with her face, he took one of her nipples between his teeth and began tugging on the nub, feeling it harden instantly. Fascinated by the change, he rolled the tip of his tongue over the stiff point and felt her suddenly arch her back under him. "Are you okay?"

Her breathing was more rapid now. "Don't stop," she pleaded.

It felt like all the blood suddenly rushed to his penis and he attacked her nipple with his mouth while squeezing her other breast in his hand. He hissed as her fingernails dug into the flesh of his ass, drawing him closer to her. Pulling his face up to hers, she kissed him like she would devour him and delighted in the hardness that pressed into her belly. "Jun." he panted, "can I taste you again?" Instead of answering him, she pushed him by the shoulders down to her hips. The sheets under her were already damp due to her excitement. He was about to dive in when he noticed what looked like another nipple poking out of a small hood. Curious, he flicked it with the tip of his tongue and felt her thrash on top of him.

"What was that?"

"Did it hurt?" He looked up at her and was surprised to see her smiling.

"That felt amazing!" she gasped. "Do it again?"

Grinning, he licked the fleshy button repeatedly until she was grinding away desperately at his mouth. "Kazuya, stop, I'm – I'm going to explode again!"

"Do it," he growled into her clit.

Unable to stop herself, she screamed as his insistent tongue ignited a massive jolt of pleasure through her body. Kazuya continued to mouth her even as he felt his face drenched. "Oh my god," was all she could whisper when it finally subsided.

Kazuya couldn't stop smiling. "You taste different when you do that," he remarked with a pleased expression on his wet face.

"So do you," she beamed, still shaking from the aftershock.

Taking her hand, he placed it on his cock. "Will you?"

Nodding, she began to stroke him and watched as every muscle in his gorgeous body tensed at her touch. Curious about his testicles, she softly rolled them in her other hand and felt a jet of clear fluid escape his head. "Does that feel good?"

"I'm really close," he warned, his breath coming in shallow rasps. "Use your mouth." Quickly taking him between her lips, she felt him grip her head with both hands as his cock swelled inside her mouth. "Jun," he hissed, "I – I – _ikku_!" Without thinking he pushed himself until he was completely encased by her throat and roared as he unloaded wave after wave of his spunk. After what felt like minutes, he became extremely sensitive and pulled out of her. Looking down, he noticed a large wet spot underneath her. "What happened?"

Embarrassed, she softly admitted, "When you did it, it happened to me too."

Pleasantly surprised, Kazuya laughed and then yawned suddenly. "Nap?" he suggested sleepily, holding his arms out to her.

"Sure!" Nestling her head in the crook of his arm, she cuddled up next to him, loving how firm and strong he felt. When he put his other arm around her, she couldn't recall ever feeling so content, wishing she could somehow preserve this moment for later.

"Jun?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." He kissed her gently on her cheek

"Anytime," she laughed softly.

"You know, I may just take you up on that." After nuzzling her face he dozed off into a contented sleep.

Watching him as he slept, she knew that she'd fallen for him, and he worried her now more than ever. Tracing a fingertip over one of his very large brows, she whispered, "I won't let anything happen to you, Kazuya-_kun_."

* * *

The two had been asleep for a while when the phone rang. Checking the clock, Jun saw that it was about three forty in the morning. "Who's calling at _this_ hour?" Kazuya mumbled drowsily.

Stroking his back, she smiled, "Go back to sleep." Kazuya was about to turn over when he heard her shout, "What?!" Sitting up, he saw that she'd gone completely white. The phone dropped from her shaking fingers.

"Jun, _doshta_?" When she continued to stare blankly in front of her he shook her hard. "Jun, what is it?"

Slowly she turned to him, her eyes glazed in disbelief. "There was…an earthquake yesterday…in Kagoshima. The hospital…the area where they were staying…it was destroyed." Looking into his eyes, she stammered, "Kazuya, my family – my family is dead."

* * *

_ikku_: I'm coming

_doshta_: what's wrong?


	12. Another New Start

Kazuya stared at Jun, not sure that he heard what she'd said. "What was that?"

Without answering him, she jumped off the bed and ran into the living room where she turned on the television to a random channel. The station was running live coverage of the earthquake and a newscaster's voice narrated, "…estimated 832 buildings damaged and 15 presumed dead after the level 6 earthquake hit the Satsuma region of the Kagoshima Prefecture at 2:38 yesterday afternoon. The earthquake itself was not the primary destructive force. The large boulders dislodged from the surrounding mountains were responsible for a great deal of the damage as well as the loss of lives. The local hospital, which naturally abutted one of the mountain faces, was the hardest hit and rescue teams are still searching for missing persons and survivors. This is the largest earthquake disaster to occur within the last two years and currently the government is mobilizing…"

"Papa, no," Jun whispered, falling to her knees. Dropping the remote, she buried her face in her hands and began to sob.

Not knowing what to do, Kazuya knelt by her side and held her as she wept. "Jun, I – I'm so sorry."

Clutching at his arm, she wailed as if her heart would break, repeating her father's name over and over. "It can't be! He can't be dead! Papa!" Feeling powerless to help her, Kazuya simply held her tighter to him as her grief overwhelmed her. After a full hour of crying nonstop, her body finally gave up and he carried her, exhausted back to his room. Laying her gently on the bed, he wiped her tear-streaked face with his hands and spooned her. Fatigued from crying so hard, her breath came in shaky gasps and he nuzzled her neck to try and calm her. It pained him to see her so sad and at that moment the only thing he wanted was to find a way to alleviate her sorrow. "He's gone, Kazuya," she said despondently. "What am I going to do? I'm alone now."

Hugging her to him, he replied. "You're not alone. You have me."

"I can't expect you to take care of me, Kazuya. You're only sixteen." She felt so lifeless in his arms. "Besides, you have your own life. I'd just be in the way. I can't ask you to do that."

He turned her over so that she would have to face him. "Why can't you be part of my life?"

"Wh-what do you mean?" She was still tremulous from crying.

"I know I'm not the most fun person," he began, "but why don't you come with me? We'll travel the world together. And not to brag, but I do okay making money off of fights. All you need is a passport and we can go wherever you like." Kissing her lightly on her puffy eyes, he promised, "I'll take good care of you. Really."

Looking at his sincere, loving expression, she wondered how a person could simultaneously be so incredibly sad and blindingly happy at the same time. The two contrasting emotions were too much for her and she began to weep again. "Kazuya…"

"Do I really make it sound that bad?" he asked, the hurt tone plain in his voice.

Laughing through her tears, she hugged him fiercely. "I'm not crying because it sounds bad. I'm just so happy that you really mean it. I can't even keep my feelings straight, I have so many emotions inside me right now."

"So, you'll come with me?" The hopeful smile that adorned his face was so beautiful to her.

"If you think you won't get sick of me," she whispered. All of a sudden, he was on top of her, kissing her feverishly and she couldn't help crying softly as he did, clinging to him as hard as she could.

"I know I won't," he told her, his breath feathery in her ear. Overjoyed at her acceptance of him, he hadn't realized that he'd risen to his full length until his rigid head bumped between her legs. As his cock brushed the wet opening he sharply drew his breath inwards. "Sorry," he apologized, pulling back. He groaned louder than he meant to when she grabbed his shaft.

"Make love to me, Kazuya."

"What?" He looked at her in amazement.

Pulling him closer to her, she repeated, "I want you to make love to me."

Trying to pull back, he told her, "Jun, my god, you just lost your family. I don't think that's something you want to decide on right _now_. I like what we're doing, and it doesn't have to go further than that. I still want you to come with me."

"Please?" The longer she kissed him the harder it was for him to see reason. "Make me yours." Her strokes became more urgent.

"Are you…sure?" It was becoming difficult to string words into a coherent sentence.

"I am."

His heartbeat was drumming so loudly in his ears he was surprised he could hear anything as she slid his helmet back and forth on her outer lips. Taking her cue, he tentatively slipped inside her an inch or so and then stopped to give her time to adjust to his size. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Keep going."

Not wanting to hurt her, he continued to gingerly slide into her when he felt her lock her knees around his back and push him all the way in. The sudden flood of pleasure caused them both to cry out. "Jun, stop," he said shakily. "I don't want it to be over so fast." Not listening, she was working her hips against his and clung to him as her scream announced the first wave of her orgasm. Feeling her spasm around him, Kazuya couldn't hold back any longer and arched his back as he came inside her. Every nerve in his body felt like it was on fire and he came with such force that he thought he saw stars before his eyes. Apparently, Jun's experience was no less extraordinary as she raked her fingernails down his back. When he became too sensitive, he pulled out and was disconcerted by how much blood was on the bedspread. "Oh my god, did it hurt?"

Hugging him, she started crying again. "No, it was wonderful. I'm so glad you're here."

Knowing that at that moment she shed tears of happiness, Kazuya said nothing and held her until she drifted into an exhausted sleep. Smoothing her hair away from her forehead, he kissed her gently and vowed, "You're mine now. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise."

_She has no part in our destiny._

"Not now," he muttered irritably. The demon was starting to annoy him with his interference.

_How long will you continue to ignore me? This woman will only ultimately serve to distract you from what it is we must do._

"That's ridiculous. She has nothing to do with any of that," he shot back.

_Wait and see. She will attempt to thwart our plans and drive a wedge between us. We will exist in discord so long as she influences you._

"Jun could never do anything to hurt me," Kazuya protested, looking at her sleeping face.

_She will never understand what drives us. She will be your undoing if you continue to pursue this._

"I don't believe you."

_Time will prove me correct. Remember, I have never led you astray, not even once. Eventually you must choose. We cannot coexist with her._

Holding her close to him, Kazuya began wishing for the first time that his demon would go away.

_You do not really wish me to leave and you will see soon enough that I speak true._

"_Urusai_!" Doing his best to ignore the voice, Kazuya rested his head on Jun's neck and willed himself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning, Kazuya took the money that Jun's father never had the chance to use and after she had packed a few things, they both said a last goodbye to the house where she had grown up. When they reached Narita International Airport, Kazuya squeezed Jun's hand as they surveyed the departure schedules. "Where would you like to go?"

She looked at the flight information. "So many possible destinations," she said with wonder. "Where should we go?"

"Wherever you like." He kissed the back of the hand he was holding and smiled encouragingly. "Would you like to get away from Japan?"

She appreciated his thoughtfulness. Perhaps the sorrow caused by her family's death would ease in a completely different country. Being in Japan would only raise painful memories. "How about London?" she suggested.

Walking up to the ticket counter, Kazuya smiled and said, "Two tickets, British Airways, first class, next flight to London, please." He shot her a wink from over his shoulder as he paid for the tickets in cash. Handing her the boarding pass and her passport, he kissed her on the forehead and grinned, "Welcome to the first day of the rest of your life, Kazama Jun." When he saw her lip tremble, he held up both his hands and added, "And please no more crying, at least for today!" The anxious look on his face made her laugh and she held his hand as they made their way to the security area.

Before boarding the plane, Kazuya removed a small gold chain from his neck and put it around Jun's. "What's this?" She noticed a tiny locket dangling from the necklace and opened it to find a faded photo of a woman holding a baby.

"It was my mother's," Kazuya explained. "I want you to have it."

"Kazuya, no! This is all that you have left of your family." She started to take it off but was stopped by his hand on her wrist.

"You're my family now," he said softly, as he met her eyes with his. "Just keep it safe for me, if you don't want to accept it." He was dismayed when she abruptly turned her back to him. "What? What did I say?"

"You told me no more crying for today, but you keep making me cry!" she sniffed.

Kazuya burst out laughing and engulfed her in a hug. "Come on, they're boarding the first class passengers now."

* * *

_urusai_: shut up


	13. An Emperor in the Garden

"Hiroko, I'm going for a walk. Hold all my calls, please." Getting in the elevator, Jinpachi pressed the button for the 40th floor and slumped against the wall. The earthquake in Kyushu had occurred a mere hour from where Kazuya had nearly been killed and being reminded of it depressed him greatly. Unable to focus on work, he decided to take a walk in the garden, hoping that it woulde brighten his mood. The twin tower headquarters of the Mishima Corporation housed a large outdoor garden between them. At 7 AM, it was still early and the garden would most likely be deserted. Walking towards the guard rails that fenced in the grounds, Jinpachi regarded the clear sky above him and sighed.

"Must be difficult to walk around carrying so much weight," a voice behind him commented. Turning around Jinpachi had missed seeing the man performing calesthetics next to a large rosebush. His Japanese was heavily accented, and if his clothing was any indication, it was because he was Chinese. His face was cheerful and he sported a neat salt and pepper beard and a brocade hat.

"Who are you?"

"The groundskeeper. I rarely see you here, Mishima-_sama_." He continued the slow sweeping motions as he spoke and his voice was calming, almost familiar in a way.

"How do you know who I am?"

The man chuckled. "I wouldn't be a very good employee if I didn't know who I worked for, would I?" Finishing his movements, he brought his hands together and bowed.

Jinpachi found this man's pleasant manner to be most welcome in his lonely state. "What is your name?"

"Wang Jin Rei, at your service," he said with another bow. "Care to join me for some tea?" Smiling, he motioned for Jinpachi to join him on one of the benches. Picking up a small thermos, he poured some tea into a Styrofoam cup and handed it to him. "Please," he encouraged. "Drink."

Taking a sip, he noted that it was green tea, and very good. "This is great," he remarked.

"My special blend," Jin Rei chuckled.

Holding the cup in his hands, Jinpachi observed the wiry Chinese man with interest and asked, "How long have you been working for me?"

"Oh, not too long. A few years, I think." He poured himself a serving as well.

Given the fact that he had an obvious martial arts background, it surprised him that he should choose to work as a groundskeeper. "Why would you want to work this job?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he challenged. "Gardening has been a longtime hobby of mine, and this seems to be one of the finer ones in Tokyo, the botanical gardens aside. There's so little room in this country for beautiful sprawling gardens." Jin Rei glanced around the grounds appreciatively.

"Well, you've done a lovely job with the garden," Jinpachi said with approval.

"Thank you," he smiled, inclining his head. Sipping his tea, Jin Rei continued, "What brings you to the gardens? You're not exactly a frequent visitor here, at least not since I've been working for you anyways."

"I guess I just needed to take a moment to clear my head," he reasoned.

"Well, this would be the perfect place to do it," Jin Rei agreed. "It's very peaceful here, and the _sakura_ blossoms are now in full bloom. I like that both the Chinese and Japanese have a fondness for them." He touched one of the blossoms within his reach reverently.

"Beautiful work," Jinpachi nodded absent-mindedly.

Jin Rei smiled warmly. He smiled a great deal actually, it seemed to JInpachi. "You look like you would prefer some time alone with your thoughts." Patting him on the back lightly, he said, "I'll give you room so you can think."

"What?" Realizing that his mind had begun to wander, Jinpachi protested, "Oh, no, it's not that."

Waving his hand understandingly, Jin Rei stood up and pulled a face as his hips creaked. "Come by later if you need another break, or some more tea."

"Thank you," JInpachi said, standing up. "Maybe I will."

"Have a good day, boss," the little man grinned.

Feeling a little better, Jinpachi looked at his watch and saw that it was only 7:15 but felt slightly more motivated to begin his day. As the elevator rose, he watched Jin Rei's tiny figure putter about the garden and smiled. So colorful was his character that it was odd to think that he'd been there for two years and he'd never noticed him before.

Wheeling his gardening tools back into the storage shed, Jin Rei was about to go back outside when he saw the younger Mishima stride past him. Heihachi shot him a disdainful sidelong glance, and he ducked his head and bowed politely. As Heihachi continued walking Jin Rei distinctly heard him scoff, "Hmph," as he got into the elevator. Father and son, they were so different. The younger Mishima had a much darker soul, if it could even be said that he had one. Jin Rei had been quietly observing him as well for some time and probably knew more about his daily affairs than his father did. Shaking his head sadly, his face brightened when he entered the garden.

When it came time to have lunch, Jinpachi was curious to see if his gardener was still working and decided to pop in before getting something to eat. Seeing him bent over some yew bushes, he quietly approached Jin Rei and was shocked when he greeted, "Afternoon, Boss," without even turning around.

"How did you know it was me?" he wondered aloud.

"You cast a really big shadow, Boss," Jin Rei laughed, pointing the sun overhead. "Only other person who could do the same is your son, and his hairstyle is very different from yours."

Jinpachi touched his long, pointed sideburns and joined in his laughter. "Nothing gets past you, does it? I should hire you to be my spy."

"Does that count as overtime?" he joked.

Surprised at how his groundskeeper could make him laugh, Jinpachi chuckled merrily at his friendly and easygoing manner. "I suppose it would have to." He suddenly became serious. "Speaking of my son, what have you been able to discern about him?" Noticing Jin Rei's obvious hesitation, he added, "You can speak plainly without fear of retaliation."

Shaking his head, Jin Rei clucked, "A troubled young man, the young Mishima-_sama_. His mind is very…dark."

"What have you seen?"

"It's not so much what I have seen," he countered. "It is more what I sense when he is nearby – a powerful but malevolent life energy. Another way that I distinguish your shadow from your son's."

This Wang Jin Rei was becoming more interesting by the minute. "I'm curious, Jin Rei. If you're Chinese, why are you here in Japan?"

Jin Rei smiled again, but this time it was a sad smile. "I wanted to understand the Japanese people better – to see what they were like firsthand."

"What made you curious about that?"

Patting some peat moss into a flowerbed, Jin Rei's voice was quiet as he recounted, "I was in Nanking when the Japanese came through in '37. My family was visiting relatives when they ravaged the capital – well, it _was_ the capital back then anyway. I was seventeen at the time and I watched the soldiers shoot helpless civilians, sparing neither women or children." He gave an ironic laugh. "Some even used samurai swords to behead their victims. Strange how the samurai's sword was meant to be a symbol of his honor, because there was no honor in what they did. Animals would think twice about attempting what they did so easily. They forced the men to watch as their female family members were brutally raped. Some even had contests between themselves to see who could kill the most people in a single day. I have a nice little souvenir of that experience." Lifting up his top, he showed Jinpachi a long, cruel-looking scar that ran from his right shoulder across his chest and abdomen, stopping just shy of his left hip. "They cut me and left me for dead." He lowered his shirt. "I was trying to save my sister from being violated. She was only twelve." Jinpachi couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Every morning when I get dressed, I look at it and I feel like it's 1937 all over again."

Having been so angry at the belligerent American troops, Jinpachi had never considered that his own countrymen could be capable of such horrible acts. Though the Americans were rude and a rogue GI here and there committed acts of violence, they had never engaged in senseless mass murder. "Why – why have I never heard of this before?"

Jin Rei shook his head. "I imagine that it would be a bit of a national embarrassment to acknowledge that such atrocities happened, to say the least. How do you think the current generation would feel to know that such a period of violence was part of their ancestors' legacy? I had some Chinese relatives who were living in Korea as well during the occupation. Many of the women were kidnapped and transported along with thousands of native Korean girls to Japan to serve as…I believe the euphemism coined was 'Comfort Women'. For the few who survived, living was almost a fate worse than death. They returned to their homeland as pariahs, rejected by their families, unable to marry or bear children. The last shred of dignity they felt entitled to was to at least have their tribulations acknowledged in Japanese history texts, but the government has seen to it that their sufferings were not made public. Essentially, they're saying that the nightmare these women had to endure never existed. Can you imagine how that feels? To be told that a lifetime of such hardship was a complete fiction? Even now, I know some of the grannies that sit in front of the Japanese consulate in Seoul protesting the censorship." Looking down at the ground, he muttered, "Still, there are fewer grannies every day as they are getting older and older."

Disgusted with the stories he had heard, Jinpachi asked him, "Why on earth would you want to live in the country whose soldiers wronged you and your people so?"

"Because I knew that the men who committed those war crimes were not indicative of the Japanese people as a whole. I did not wish to live with hate. For a long time I did, and it was awful, and in the end, hate accomplishes nothing. It can only destroy. So, in order to cleanse myself of the hate, I moved here a ten years ago and have gotten to know and respect the Japanese people, people such as yourself, Mishima-_sama_," he explained with a kind smile.

"Call me Jinpachi," he insisted.

"Oh, that wouldn't be appropriate," Jin Rei demurred.

"No, please." Jinpachi bowed respectfully to his gardener. "I insist."

Warmed by the compliment, Jin Rei replied, "Okay, but I'm still going to call you Boss when I'm on the clock."

"_Wakata_," JInpachi laughed. "We will chat again soon, Jin Rei, and thank you, for opening my eyes."

"Try not to work too hard, Boss," his employee cautioned with a wink. Feeling less depressed, Jinpachi suddenly realized how hungry he was and decided it was time to get something to eat.

* * *

_wakata_: I understand


	14. Across the Pond

"Ladies and gentlemen, at this time we ask that you please return to your seats. You will notice that the captain has turned on the fasten seat belt sign and we ask that you put up your tray tables and put your seatbacks up to the full upright position in preparation for our landing at Heathrow International Airport. We anticipate landing a few minutes ahead of schedule but we request that you remain in your seats until we have reached the gate. Local time is 10:35 AM and the current temperature in London is 32 degrees Centigrade, partly cloudy with mild winds. We hope that you've enjoyed your flight and on behalf of the captain and your flight crew, we'd like to thank you for flying British Airways and we hope that you will choose British Airways again in the future for your air travel needs."

Raising his head at the announcement, Kazuya yawned and stretched luxuriously in his first class seat. Looking next to him, Jun was still asleep, her face resting on his shoulder. He tried not to laugh when he saw that she had imprints in her cheek from the waffle texture of his shirt. Shaking her gently, he said quietly, "Jun. Jun, wake up. We're landing soon."

She blinked sleepily and rubbed one eye. "We are?"

"Mm." He pulled a stray strand of hair out of her eyes. "Sleep well?"

Covering her mouth as she yawned, she nodded drowsily. "Did you sleep at all?"

"A little." He glanced out the window at the thick cloud cover. "After we land, what would you like to see first?"

She perked up a little at his question. "I don't know. What do you think we should see?"

"We can play it by ear," he grinned. "We're not in any hurry." He noticed that she was smiling to herself. "What?"

Giggling, she said, "It's stupid, but I feel like those two kids at the end of that movie _Battle Royale_. You know, making it on their own one day at a time, dropping out of high school, just relying on each other."

Seeing the similarities, he nodded and replied, "I never thought of that but now that you mention it, we are kind of doing the same thing."

"You're a lot better looking than the guy in the movie, though," she added with mock seriousness.

"Thanks," he said wryly.

After arriving at the gate and exchanging their yen for pounds, they hailed a taxi and in minutes they were headed for the heart of London. "Kazuya, how's your English?" she suddenly asked. Her voice had a trace of worry in it.

"I do okay," he reassured her.

Curling up next to him on the seat, she looked out at the window. "I don't know why but I'm so nervous right now."

Putting an arm around her shoulder, he gave her a squeeze. "We'll be fine. I'll take care of everything. _Shinpai shinai-deh, kanajo_." He felt her relax under his arm and gave her a kiss on the side of her head. When they had arrived in Kensington, Kazuya suggested that the first order of business should be to find a hostel. After finding one that looked decent enough, they went to the nearest tube station to buy a map and begin their exploration of London. "We should see all the big stuff first," Kazuya planned. "Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, the Tower of London – ".

"Time out! Time out!" Jun laughed. "I think we have enough on our list for a few days."

"Well, the changing of the guard is going to happen in an hour. Want to head to Buckingham Palace?"

"Sure!"

Boarding the train, a placid voice announced, "Stand clear of the doors, mind the gap, please."

"I like their accents," Jun whispered to him.

"It makes the English kind of hard to understand, though," Kazuya muttered.

Walking to the gates of Buckingham Palace, a large crowd of tourists had already gathered in anticipation of the English tradition. "Oh look they're starting!" she squealed. "Look at the funny hats!"

They watched as the red-coated soldiers in their tall bearskin hats paraded ceremoniously and then exchanged places. Kazuya smiled at seeing Jun clap delightedly as the relieved soldiers marched off the palace grounds. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Oh yeah!" Her face became serious suddenly. "What do they do if they have to pee?" Kazuya burst out laughing at her question. It was a good thing she asked her question in Japanese because if she had said it in English a lot more people would probably be laughing. "What?"

"Nothing," he said, still laughing "Come on. Let's go ride one of those red double-decker buses." The rest of afternoon was a whirlwind of sightseeing and Jun loved the fact that she felt completely safe with Kazuya in control of things. The sun was beginning to set and the bright billboards of Piccadilly Circus began to light up, one by one. In the center of the Circus, pink mohawked punk rockers in leather jackets and chains milled about, looking bored as they smoked cigarettes. Stopping at a local stand, Jun picked up a Union Jack T shirt and held it up to Kazuya's chest. "You like it?" he asked.

"I think it would look nice on you," she nodded.

Handing her a couple pound notes, he said, "Well, if you like it, get it." He picked out a small tank top emblazoned with a Union Jack for her to wear. As they contemplated where to go for dinner, the sound of shouting and cheering caught their attention. A group of people was gathered watching something that was happening in the center of the crowd. Curious, Kazuya pulled Jun over by the hand and peered over the shoulders of the onlookers to see two men swinging at each other in the space the spectators had created around them. The first man was young-looking, possibly not even in his twenties and his long blonde-brown hair stood straight up for about seven or eight inches. He was using Judo techniques. His opponent was a Latin American looking man who appeared much older who was fighting in the cappoiera style. As they fought, the observers shouted and waved fistfuls of pound notes exuberantly, spurring on their favorites. Though they seemed about equally matched in skill, eventually it was the younger fighter who emerged victorious, winning the bout with a flying roundhouse kick that sent his opponent crashing to the ground. The unofficial mediator of the match announced, "Winner, Paul Phoenix!" One half of the crowd erupted into cheers while the other half sourly handed over their money.

"Any other takers?" the strangely hair styled fighter asked cockily. His accent showed him to be American and Kazuya realized that he recognized him from some of the fights that he had participated in during his travels in Asia. "Come on, there's gotta be someone who can knock out Paul Phoenix." Seeing Kazuya and Jun out of the corner of his eye, he walked over to them and looked Kazuya up and down. "How about you, man? Interested in a street fight?"

Figuring they had more than enough money at the present, Kazuya shook his head, declining, "No, thank you."

"Aw come on, you mean to tell me you're that scared to take me on?" he chided, hoping to bait him.

Not falling for his taunt, Kazuya took Jun's arm and began to lead her away when the American shouted. "Hey, how about we make it interesting? You win, you get all my winnings from tonight. I've got about five hundred pounds. If I win, I get to take that cute little girl of yours. Whaddya say?"

Finding his attitude incredibly rude, and furious that he had insulted Jun in front of him, Kazuya handed her his duffel bag and told her in Japanese, "Hold this and don't let anyone take it."

"What are you going to do?" she asked nervously.

"He wanted to wager you in this fight. I won't allow his insult to go unpunished." The look on his face made her even more anxious. He looked…scary. The American made it even worse when he winked at her.

"Hey, cutie!" he called cheerfully. "As soon as I beat your boyfriend, I'm going to show you a real good time! You know what they say – everything's bigger in America!"

"Don't you dare talk to her like that!" Kazuya snarled back in English, baring his teeth. The livid expression on his face even caused Paul to take a step backwards. Clutching his duffel bag to her chest, Jun held her breath as they began. Watching Kazuya assert himself in the ring, she felt a mix of pride and fear for his safety as the two men fought. She knew he was good, but even he seemed to be having a difficult time making the American submit.

Initially the onlookers shouted enthusiastically, but the bout began to drag on, as neither fighter could seem to gain any advantage over the other. After a half hour with no foreseeable conclusion in either direction, Paul held up his hand in a time out, breathing heavily. Still in a defensive posture, Kazuya was panting just as hard. Due to the disgruntled grumblings of the betters, the referee jumped between them to preempt an all out brawl, shouting, "No winner, this fight ends in a draw!"

His fists still clenched at his sides, Kazuya spat disgustedly in Paul's direction and after a last menacing glance, he pulled Jun out of the crowd and headed towards the Underground station. "Are you okay?" she cried, her eyes wide.

"_Daijobu_," he muttered.

"You didn't have to do that."

"Yes I did. No one insults you in front of me without paying for it." He cracked his neck pointedly for added emphasis.

She couldn't help chuckling a little at his macho display. "You're kind of cute when you're angry," she teased.

"I should have beaten him," he said angrily.

"You did really well."

Kicking the curb out of frustration, he snapped, "I've never been beaten before, not even once. I've always won every fight, but this loss ruins my record."

"Well technically you weren't beaten," she reminded him. "It _was_ declared a draw after all."

"Whether it was a draw or a loss, the point is, I didn't win. Next time I see that fucking American I swear I'll paint the ground with his brains!" he swore.

Shrinking back a little, Jun tried to sound lighthearted when she said, "Oh, you don't mean that, Kazuya."

"Yes. I do." The look in his eyes confirmed that he was indeed quite serious about his threat.

The glimpses she'd had of Kazuya's darker side were starting to worry her. It was strange how his personality could be so divided – alternately warm and violent at the drop of a hat. Hoping the change the subject, she kissed him and gave his butt a flirtatious squeeze. "You look so hot when you fight," she cooed. Finally succeeding in getting him to smile, she laughed when bit her playfully on her neck. "Come on, let's go get something to eat."

* * *

_shinpai shinai-deh: _don't worry

_kanajo: _girlfriend

_daijobu_: I'm fine


	15. A New Flower

After yet another long night at the office, Jinpachi was very much looking forward to getting a good night's sleep. Stepping out of his car, he relieved his driver for the evening and fumbled in his pocket for his house keys. He was just about to pull them out when he tripped over someone and both of them tumbled to the ground in a heap. Sitting up, he saw that he had in fact nearly run over a young woman carrying some boxes. "_Sumimaseng_," he apologized with some embarrassment, as he watched her gather her things.

She looked up from her task and gave him a small smile. "_Daijobu_," she said softly.

He had to look again to see if he was really seeing what he thought he saw. It was like turning back the clock and seeing his beloved Hanai before him again, and to meet her like this, almost exactly as he had when they'd first met, it was all too strange. "H-Hanai-_chan_?" he whispered.

Her smile was exactly his wife's. "_Gomen_, you must have me confused for someone else. My name is Sakura."

Another girl with a flower name. Was it a coincidence? It couldn't be. Gaping at her for some time, he finally recovered his speech and stammered, "I'm so sorry, you look so much like someone I used to know."

"I hope she was pretty," Sakura joked.

"_Utskushi_," Jinpachi breathed.

She blushed and ducked her head, flooding his mind with memories of when he first took her as his own. Loading the boxes into her arms, she stood up and shyly bowed, "Well, good night." She was about to walk away when Jinpachi stopped her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "_Doshta_? Is something the matter?"

He knew that touching her like that was incredibly rude but unable to let her get away, he barely managed to say, "Would you…mind having a drink with me? I wonder if you're related to the person I knew."

"Well, I have to get these home, they're a bit cumbersome," she noted, indicating the boxes with her eyes.

"Oh, of course. Please, let me help you." He took them from her arms. "Where do you live?" When she motioned for him to follow, he was amazed to find that she lived only a few blocks from his home in an apartment complex. When she opened the door to her unit, he saw that she lived in a tiny studio with few possessions. Some bedding, a closet not even half filled with clothes as well as a small hot plate were all that the apartment contained. Setting her boxes down, he led her out of her building and into a local bar. "Would you like a drink?"

"Oh, I don't drink," she said, shaking her head. "But you go ahead, if you want." She sat across from him, her hands resting timidly in her lap.

"A scotch, neat, and one cola please," he told the waitress. Turning back to the girl, he couldn't stop staring at her. "Hanai – "

"Sakura," she reminded him gently.

"Oh, of course, my sincere apologies." He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "Sakura, what is your last name?"

Quiet for a moment, she answered his question with one of her own. "Might I know who is asking?"

Embarrassed, he stammered, "Oh how stupid of me! Call me Jinpachi. Mishima Jinpachi." When he noticed that she still looked uncomfortable with his question, he pleaded, "Please, I just want to know if you're connected with this person in any way. I need to know."

She appeared to be studying his demeanor and finally admitted, "My last name is Minami."

"Were you at all related to a woman named Murokami Hanai?"

"Not that I know of." She took a sip of her coke.

"_Okashina_," he murmured. "You look like you could have been her sister, or daughter."

"Who was she?"

This girl must think him to be so odd. "My wife. My…late wife."

"Well, I suppose I can understand why you were so curious about me, then," she said with understanding. Taking out his wallet, Jinpachi removed the worn photograph of him and Hanai when they had gotten engaged and handed it to the girl. Taking it, she scrutinized the photo and agreed, "I do look a great deal like her. What are the odds?"

"Indeed, what are the odds," he repeated. "Han – Sakura, how old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Do you go to school?"

"No." She looked ruefully at her hands. "I can't afford it."

"What about your parents?" he asked.

"They've both been dead for a few years now."

Saddened to hear it, he continued, "How do you support yourself then?"

"I have odd jobs here and there, usually cleaning people's houses and the like. I get by." She set her coke down.

"Are you working right now?" He couldn't disguise the eagerness in his voice.

"Not at the moment, no," she said hesitantly.

"Come work for me," he urged. "I'll see to it that you don't have to worry about a regular income ever again."

"Mishima-sama," she began reluctantly, "I'm – I'm not one of _those_ types of girls."

"What?" _Oh god, she thinks I've mistaken her for a prostitute_, Jinpachi thought to himself with chagrin. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. I didn't mean to make it seem as though I was propositioning you. I meant that you could take a job in my household, a legitimate job."

Her face was skeptical. "I don't know, sir. It all sounds a bit strange. I mean, you tell me that I look exactly like your former wife and suddenly ask me to come work for you?"

He had to concede that it did sound somewhat sketchy. "I loved my wife a great deal, and she died giving birth to my son." He lowered his head dejectedly. "I couldn't do anything to save her. I think perhaps helping you would make that pain go away, perhaps make me feel like I had helped her."

Her eyes reflected her sympathy for his sadness. "Give me a few days to think it over, Mishima-_sama_."

His heart leapt at the fact that she didn't reject the idea outright. "How will I know what your answer is?"

"Is there an address where I can go to tell you my decision?"

Rooting in his pockets for his business card, he wrote his home address as well on the back and gave it to her. She took it delicately in both hands and read it. "Owner, President, and CEO of Mishima Corporation International. I'm honored that you favor me so."

Remembering when Hanai had said the same thing to him, his pulse quickened even more. "I will await your answer." Paying the bill, he held the door open for her as they exited. "May I walk you home? It's on the way to mine."

"I suppose that would be alright," she nodded. They walked in silence the whole way and Jinpachi couldn't recall the last time he had been so nervous. "Thank you Mishima-_sama_," she bowed when they had reached her building. "I will come see you in a few days."

"Thank you," was all he could say. He watched her until she disappeared from sight and walked home in a daze. Excited by what had happened, now he couldn't sleep and knew that the next few days would pass slowly for him until she either accepted or rejected his offer.

* * *

"Good evening, Sakura. How did your first performance go?"

Misano lowered her eyes submissively. "I did exactly as you instructed."

"Good," Heihachi praised her. "And what was the outcome?"

"Exactly what you predicted it would be, sir."

"Excellent!" He noticed that the corner of her mouth turned up in the slightest of smiles at his approval. With the specialized "training" that Misano had undergone in the last three months, not only had she successfully taken on the external persona of a prim and proper girl, he'd also discovered that she had developed a paradoxical attachment to him as a result of the strategic sequence of abuse and nurturance that he employed. He'd heard of this phenomenon before - Stockholm Syndrome. It was a psychological condition in which captives became dependent on their captors, often forgoing the option of freedom in order to stay with the very people who held them prisoner. Never had he imagined that Misano would succumb to it as well, but it was yet another unexpected bonus he had uncovered. "You've done well, Sakura," he began. "But I want you to listen to me very carefully. You are to continue to be reluctant, but not too reluctant when our target asks you for things. Eventually give him what he wants but always act like it is only after an internal struggle on your part. If you acquiesce too quickly, it will dampen his obsession with you."

"_Hai_."

"I think you deserve a reward for having done such a wonderful job," he said as a smile lit up her face.

"Sir, really?" Her eyes sparkled with delight.

"But of course, I have to keep my Sakura-_chan_ happy." Patting her on the head like a puppy, he asked her, "What is it you'd like?" He smirked, as he already knew what her answer would be.

She hastily avoided looking directly into his eyes and whispered, "If you would…" her sentence trailed off.

"If I would what?"

"If you would fuck me," she whispered, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

He fought the urge to laugh victoriously. The first month that he had raped her as punishment were agonizing for her, but with time, she began to crave it, interpreting it as a sign of his absolute approval. Turning her over on her hands and knees, he pulled down her underwear and sure enough, she was already soaked with anticipation. Rubbing her clit skillfully, he murmured in her ear, "Sakura-_chan_, where do you want it?"

Breathing hoarsely from the pleasure she was experiencing, she cried, "In my ass!"

"Say it in a complete sentence, Sakura," he corrected her gently.

Writhing under him, she begged, "I want your cock in my ass, Sir!"

"Perfect," he said smoothly. Taking his dick in his hand, he rubbed the entrance to her pussy to lubricate it and then slowly stuffed it into her asshole. Digging her fingernails into the floor, she nearly wept for joy as he sank deeper and deeper into her bowels. "You're such a good girl, Sakura-_chan_," he continued. "Do you want to cum?"

"Yes, sir, please let me cum!" she cried.

"Very well, Sakura-_chan_, you may cum on my cock." He felt her thrust her ass back towards him and felt his own orgasm threatening to explode. Jerking erratically, she came as he unloaded inside her.

"Thank you, Sir," she whispered between gulping breaths.

_Father, you don't stand a chance_, he thought triumphantly to himself, as he looked at the obsequious girl trembling on the floor.

* * *

_sumimaseng_: I'm so sorry

_daijobu_: it's okay

_gomen_: sorry

_utskushi_: beautiful

_doshta_: what is it

_okashina_: strange


	16. A Weed Takes Root

"Morning, Boss," Jin Rei welcomed cheerfully. When he got no response, he turned around and took in Jinpachi's haggard appearance, remarking, "You okay, Boss? You don't look so good."

"I haven't been sleeping well the last few nights," he admitted.

"Something on your mind?"

Jinpachi sat down heavily on one of the marble benches. "Jin Rei, have you ever been married?"

"Nope, never had the pleasure, sadly," he joked. "Why?"

"I had the strangest thing happen to me the other day and it made me think of my wife."

"Oh I didn't realize you had a wife."

"I don't," he said sorrowfully. "She died many years ago."

Jin Rei's expression became serious. "I'm sorry."

"I loved her so much," he sighed. "It took me by complete surprise when she died giving birth to Heihachi. I was powerless to help her and I felt so robbed by her death." Looking at Jin Rei, he asked, "Do you believe that people can come back from the afterlife?"

"I think that's not impossible," he answered thoughtfully. "Many people in the world believe in reincarnation."

"Does the goodness of the person or the magnitude of the suffering endured have any bearing on their next life?"

"In Buddhism it does." Jin Rei plucked a small weed by its roots. "The more righteous your previous life, the greater the reward in the next. It's the concept of Karma, that what you do in your present life will be revisited upon you in the future."

"Hanai was a wonderful person and it seemed so unfair to me that such a kind, loving woman had her life taken from her at such a young age." Lowering his voice he added, "For many years I carried this weight inside my heart, not understanding the justice of it all, but now I am wondering if fate is giving me a reprieve from this suffering."

The elderly man pulled a few dead leaves off the rose bush nest to him. "What do you mean?"

"Will you think me foolish after I've told you?"

"I don't believe anything is foolish. And what makes me so special that I have the right to pass that kind of judgment?" Jin Rei encouraged him to continue with a nod.

"I met this girl a few nights ago and the similarities between her and Hanai are far too striking to be attributed to coincidence alone." Taking a deep breath, he elaborated, "She was the same age as Hanai when I first began to love her, we met almost in the exact same circumstances, and everything about her appearance, even down to the clothes she wears and her mannerisms is like how Hanai was. I think that's quite auspicious, don't you think?"

"I have to admit, it's a pretty remarkable story."

"Do you think it's a sign?" Jinpachi demanded anxiously.

Jin Rei seemed reluctant to answer. "I do concede that it's an amazing situation, but usually when we desperately want to believe something is the time when it's most prudent to be on your guard. Usually if something looks too good to be true, it isn't."

Though his comment was not what he had been looking for in the way of affirmation, Jinpachi knew that he was right. "Thank you for the good advice, my friend." Standing up he waved goodbye to the gardener and headed back to his office. _Get a hold of yourself_, he thought. Jin Rei is right. _You can't just plunge in headfirst so recklessly_.

"Mishima-_sama_, there is someone here to see you," Hiroko informed him as he walked in. "A young lady."

Trying to calm his racing heart, Jinpachi tried to restrain his excitement as he entered his office. "_Konichiwa_, Mishima-_sama_," she greeted him, bowing. The musical quality of her voice thrilled him.

"I'm glad you came."

"I've given it some thought," she stated, "and as long as it is a true job and I am treated strictly as staff, I will accept your offer."

Jinpachi had to resist the urge to take her in his arms. "I can have a room made up for you in the house immediately. You – ". He stopped talking when she held up a hand.

"Do your other employees live in your home?"

"No," he admitted.

"Then it would not be appropriate for me to do so," she said firmly.

Feeling foolish for letting him get ahead of himself, Jinpachi backed off a little. "Of course. I didn't mean to be overly familiar."

"When should I begin?"

"Be at my residence tomorrow morning at 10 AM," he decided. Handing her the address, he thanked her for coming and had Hiroko show her out.

* * *

Taking care not to be seen, Misano went to the bathroom down the hall from Heihachi's office and locked the door. She waited patiently until she heard three distinct knocks and opened the door to let Heihachi in. Turning the lock behind him, Heihachi faced Misano. "Well?"

"I start tomorrow," she reported.

"Excellent. Right on schedule. Well done, Sakura-_chan_." He ran a finger along her cheekbone, causing her to shiver.

"Will you come and see me tonight?" she asked hopefully.

"Not tonight," he said, to her great disappointment. "Perhaps tomorrow night after I hear what a great first day you had at your new job."

"_Hai_," she mumbled in a forlorn voice.

"Remember, Sakura, you have to be seductive without being obvious or vulgar. I'll see you tomorrow night." Exiting the bathroom, he looked down the hall to see if anyone was about and nonchalantly walked back to his office.

* * *

Checking her appearance in her full length mirror, Misano was satisfied that she looked the part and left for Jinpachi's home. Ringing the door bell, as Heihachi predicted, he answered it personally, barely disguising his pleasure at seeing her. "_Okari-nasai_!" he welcomed her.

"_Domo_." She took off her shoes and stepped into his home. It was large, expensively furnished and in impeccable condition. He likely already had a maid. She wondered what ruse he would create in order to find her a purpose to stay. "What are my duties Mishima-_sama_?"

"Oh, well, I thought you could be my housekeeper," he replied lamely.

Bingo, she thought to herself. As rehearsed, she said, "Your house is so clean already. It doesn't look like there is really a need for a housekeeper. At least not on any sort of regular basis," she added with a slight pout.

"Ah, yes, well…" Jinpachi scrambled for a plausible justification for her employment. "It looks that way because I wanted it presentable for your first day."

"It appears that I don't have much to do today then," she observed. "Shall I come back tomorrow?"

"No!" Catching himself, he amended, "I mean, I thought I could get you familiarized with what your duties will be." He was relieved when she nodded agreeably.

"Very well."

Showing her around the house, Jinpachi gave her the basic requirements of a housekeeper. Taking her to one of the many spare rooms, he opened the door and said, "If you ever feel like you are too fatigued to go home, you may use this room for your personal needs. There is a bathroom inside, and you may bring whatever you like from home that you may require."

The room was bigger than her fake studio and she walked around the space, examining the accommodations. "Thank you, sir, but I don't believe I will be needing this. I do live right down the street." She noted the obvious look of disappointment on his face.

"As for your salary," he quoted her a price and waited for her answer. To his additional disappointment, she seemed uncomfortable with that as well.

"Mishima-_sama_, I know what the standard rates for maid services are and the sum you are offering me is not appropriate."

Not wanting to scare her away, he hastily replied, "Take what you are comfortable with then."

"I will be fine with a quarter of what you offered," she said simply. "I will see you tomorrow then?"

"You're welcome to stay and familiarize yourself with the house," he suggested, hoping to deter her departure.

"Thank you but no." She put her shoes on and opened his front door. "Tomorrow then. Good day."

She was gone all too soon and it disheartened him to see that she seemed to have no interest whatsoever in anything he had to offer. Perhaps with time she would warm to him. Though he had set aside the bulk of the weekend to spend with her, since she wouldn't start until tomorrow, he grabbed his jacket and decided to get some work done. He'd need a distraction until tomorrow morning.

* * *

That evening, Misano waited impatiently for Heihachi to visit her. Pacing the room, she began to despair that he would come at all when she heard the lock turn. Kneeling in front of him as he came in, she lowered her eyes and waited to be addressed. "And how was your first day, Sakura?"

"Very good, sir. Exactly as you said it would be." She looked at him expectantly.

"Yes, yes," he assured her soothingly. "You'll be rewarded for your obedience." Taking off his clothes, the idea of breaking his father's spirit made him smile sadistically. He would take his time savoring the downfall of his father.

* * *

_okari-nasai:_ welcome

_domo_: thank you (respectful)


	17. The Coming Storm

"_Tsugoi_!" Stepping out of the subway terminal, Jun looked with amazement at the never-ending columns of skyscrapers that stretched along the streets of Manhattan. "So many tall buildings! I wonder if Tokyo is like this?"

"Well, minus the earthquakes," Kazuya commented. Her face fell and he realized that mentioning earthquakes had caused her to think about her deceased family members. "Jun, _gomen_! I didn't mean to bring that up!"

"It's okay." Taking his hand, she led him down Park Avenue. "Such beautiful apartments," she remarked. "And it's so busy!"

"Well, how about we find a hotel?"

"Sounds good," she agreed.

The last six months for them had been a leisurely romp through Europe and Kazuya had suggested that they go to the US next. An international martial arts tournament was to take place at Madison Square Garden in one week and though the title of champion was alluring, the $100,000 cash prize was no less so. Upset after his draw with the American, Paul Phoenix, Kazuya vowed to win this event. He had half hoped that Paul would enter the competition as well, but the word in the fighter's grapevine was that he was being detained in Thailand after he and his friends had instigated a bar brawl.

Walking in with Jun, he went to the concierge desk and requested a room for two. After much prodding, Jun had convinced him to create a bank account for his winning so that they wouldn't have to carry large amounts of cash with them all the time. Pulling out his bank card, Kazuya paid for the room and handed his belongings to the bellhop. When they'd gotten settled, he said," I have to go and register for the competition. Do you want to come with or stay here?"

"I'll come with. Not much for me to do here without you."

"Great! Here." He handed her their room key. "You hold onto that."

"_Hai_," she said with a mock salute.

After a few botched attempts at navigating the subway system, they finally made it to the registration site. There was a long line of contenders waiting to sign up for the tournament and Kazuya took his place in one of the queues. Motioning to some benches that were close by, he told her, "Hey, you can go sit if you want. This might take a while."

"Okay." Making her way to the benches, she sat down and began to people watch, occasionally stopping to wave to Kazuya, who would shoot her a small smile as he waited for his turn.

"Is this seat taken?"

Jun looked up to see a young Asian man with long hair tied back in a ponytail looking at her. "No…English," she said, trying to use what few words she knew. The stranger said something else, and she wasn't sure but it sounded like Chinese. Shaking her head again, she was surprised when he said, "Are you Japanese?" in Japanese.

"Yes! Are you Japanese as well?"

He laughed pleasantly. "No, actually I'm Chinese. Lei Wu Long. Nice to meet you." He held out his hand.

Shaking it politely, she asked, "If you're Chinese, why do you know Japanese?"

Looking at the seat beside her, he grinned and said, "Well, before I answer your question, do you mind if I sit?"

"What? Oh, of course!" She moved over so that he could join her.

"I just started working in Interpol this year in Hong Kong, and my supervisor is a Chinese woman who happens to be married to a Japanese Anosetsukan fighter. They're both amazing martial artists and he comes by to see her after work sometimes. She's fluent so she taught me a little here and there."

Jun looked around. "Are they entering too?"

He smiled again. "No, they only recently got married and they're sort of settling into domestic bliss. Besides, they're pretty well known in all the major fighting circles so I don't think they feel much in the way of a need to prove anything."

"Interpol, huh? Any specific branch?"

"Well, not yet, but I'm hoping to join the illegal animal smuggling division," he speculated.

"You like animals?"

"Oh yeah, love 'em. Hopefully I can help the ones that are being bought and sold illegally." Jun was about to ask him another question when she noticed Kazuya staring daggers at Lei. Looking in the direction of her gaze, Lei saw it too. "You know that guy?"

"Yeah, he's my boyfriend." Hoping that Kazuya wouldn't overreact, she added, "He can be a little…ah…overprotective at times."

"Pretty girl like you, can't really blame him," he quipped with a roguish wink.

She blushed at his statement and it was not unnoticed by Kazuya whose glare only darkened further. Trying to maintain control over his temper, he continued to wait until it was his turn to register and when he had finished signing up, he promptly stormed over to where Jun was seated. "I'm done. Let's get out of here," he muttered irritably.

"Oh, Kazuya, this is Lei Wu Long, another contestant," she introduced.

"Nice to meet you," Lei grinned, again holding out his hand.

_He is attracted to her and she seems to be enjoying his attentions._

Ignoring his greeting, Kazuya pulled Jun to her feet. "We're going."

"Hey man, ease up. Don't be so rough with her," Lei said with concern.

_He wants to take her for his own, away from you, and she would willingly go, don't you see?_

Letting go of her arm, Kazuya walked up to him and Lei could have sworn that he heard him growl. "This is none of your business. Stay away from her," he warned. He left the bewildered man where he stood, dragging Jun behind him.

"Kazuya, really!" Exasperated, she pulled her arm out of his hand. "What was that about?"

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he accused angrily.

_Oh here we go __**again**_, she thought. "He was just being friendly."

"Didn't look that way to me." Scowling, he demanded, "Why were you even talking with him in the first place?"

"He just wanted to sit and I thought it was interesting that a Chinese person spoke Japanese, that's all!"

"I'm sure he wanted to do more than just sit," he said sourly.

Trying to calm him down, Jun put a hand on his shoulder. "Kazuya, I think you might be overreacting just a little."

Not saying anything, Kazuya kept silent the whole train ride back to the hotel. When they got to their room, he hugged her and simply said, "I'm sorry if I was too rough with you."

This wasn't the first incidence of his becoming unreasonably jealous. In the last half year, any man who showed Jun even the slightest shred of interest ran the risk of being the target of Kazuya's hair trigger temper. Sometimes she even felt that he blamed her for their attentions. Afterwards, he always apologized, but every time it happened, it made her extremely uneasy. Not wanting to make a big deal out of it, she hugged him affectionately and gave him a kiss. "That's okay." His face relaxed into an easygoing smile that was a stark contrast to the threatening expression it had replaced only moments before.

"Hungry?" he asked brightly.

"Sure. Wanna get room service?" She flopped onto the bed, happy that his mood had improved.

Nodding, he picked up the phone and ordered dinner. When they'd finished their meal, Jun lay back on the bed and held her stomach. "I am stuffed," she said heavily.

"Me too." He jokingly pushed on her tummy, causing her to groan uncomfortably.

"Hey, cut it out! You'll make me puke!"

Rolling over on his side, he propped up himself up on one elbow and asked, "So what do you want to do tonight?"

"Nothing specific." She kissed his cheek. "What do you want to do tonight?"

"Well, it has been over 48 hours."

"Uh-oh." One look at his face and she knew exactly what it was that he wanted. "Kazuya, I'm really full…" she said weakly.

Inching towards her, he began pulling her towards him. "You don't have to do anything."

"Would it matter if I said no?"

He smiled impishly at her. "Not really."

After a few hours of enthusiastic lovemaking, Jun passed out, a satisfied smile on her lips. Not quite sleepy yet, Kazuya watched her as she slept next to him and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders.

_This can only end badly. She will betray you_.

"No she won't," he muttered irritably. "No one asked you."

_She has done this so many times, in so many different countries. Do you really think that she is as innocent as she claims? She knows how to attract a man's attention. She thrives on it._

Frowning, Kazuya argued, "No, she's not like that. She's always told me that she cares about me and only me."

_To keep you unsuspecting and under control, and like a fool you believe her_. _You choose to be blind to what is so obvious_.

"_Yamiro_!" Kazuya put both hands over his ears, trying desperately to block out the insidious voice in his head.

"Kazuya, are you okay?" Jun's sleepy voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Yeah, fine. Go back to sleep." Grabbing a discman and some headphones, he turned up the music to its maximum volume and put the ear buds on. The music was annoyingly loud, but at least the demon's voice was overpowered by the noise.

* * *

_tsugoi_: amazing

_gomen_: sorry

_yamiro_: stop (imperative)


	18. Metamorphosis

Waking early, Kazuya roused Jun and the two headed for the training center that had been reserved for the fighters to practice in. Joking that she was getting good at karate, Kazuya suggested that Jun practice as well, and she had come dressed accordingly. Entering the large gymnasium, despite the fact that they had made it a point to come early, there were already many fighters practicing. Some exercised with partners, others warmed up alone. "Come on, Jun. Let's see if you can beat me," Kazuya challenged playfully.

Shooting him a dubious look, Jun replied, "I can tell you right now what the result of this match is going to be."

"Yeah, yeah," he grinned, but in truth, Jun was actually quite good. Though it was atypical for people to become proficient at martial arts in adulthood, Jun appeared to have a natural aptitude for karate. If she continued at this rate, in five or ten years she might be able to compete herself, but not wanting to give her a big head, he kept this knowledge to himself.

"_Oi, ohaiyo_!" a cheery voice called.

Both turned to see Lei walking towards them, wearing Kung Fu training gear. Immediately, Kazuya's good humor vanished and Jun could already see the clouds gathering above his brows as Lei neared them. "Kazuya, please be civil," she pleaded out of the corner of her mouth.

Strolling up to them he smiled in greeting. "Have both of you entered the competition?

_This one again. You see? He came to see her, and she tells you to be civil._

"No, she has not," Kazuya replied gruffly.

Somewhat taken aback by his curt manner, Lei's smile disappeared. Sounding apologetic, he asked, "Have I done something to offend you, my friend?"

_Look at him, trying to ingratiate himself with you in order to prevent suspicion. Do not fall for it. He obviously has ulterior motives._

"I am not your friend, and you'll do me the favor of staying away from my girlfriend." He was about to walk away with Jun when Lei put his hand on his arm.

"Listen, I didn't – "

_Will you let him put his hands on you? Put him in his place before he takes the initiative first._

Lei never got a chance to finish his sentence as Kazuya snapped around and felled him to the ground with a sharp hip throw. "Keep your hands off me unless we happen to meet in the ring," he warned him.

"Kazuya! Stop it!" Jun shouted.

Some of the gym staff members ran to Lei's side. "Hey man, no aggressive fighting in here, you understand? This is for practice only. One more stunt like that and we'll have you disqualified before you even start the competition." They helped Lei to his feet.

Still glowering at Lei, Kazuya acidly said, "I apologize," and grabbing Jun, walked to the opposite side of the gym.

"Kazuya, really!" She glared at him in exasperation.

Wrapping tape around his knuckles, Kazuya didn't look up. "He had no business touching me," he rationalized.

Throwing her hands up in the air, she told him, "This is becoming ridiculous!" Pausing with his tape, he looked at her suspiciously.

_You see? She sides with that other man. You say she cares about you, yet she plainly doesn't care about your feelings. She is on that stranger's side because she wants him. She thinks you're a fool._

"You think I'm ridiculous?" he accused.

"Your behavior is a little ridiculous, yes." She was facing him with her hands on her hips, wearing an annoyed expression.

_She is angry with you! And she just confirmed that you are embarrassing her with your behavior_.

"Do I embarrass you, Jun?" he asked in a flat tone.

The ominous look that scared her began to spread across his face and she realized that right now was not the best time to be honest with him. "No, of course not," she said hastily.

_Liar._

"You're lying to me!" He angrily threw his tape down and clenched his fists. His voice was so loud that everyone stopped what they were doing in order to look in his direction.

"Yo, is there a problem?" One of the employees looked at him warily.

"No, no problem," he said, forcing himself to calm down.

_Send her away. Be apart from her for a while. Save yourself the aggravation._

Kazuya set his jaw. "Jun, why don't you go back to the hotel? I'll meet you there in a few hours."

Not wanting to start another incident, Jun simply nodded and made her way to the exit. As inconspicuously as she could, she shot an apologetic look at Lei whose eyes told her that he understood. She could only hope that once the competition was over that Kazuya would return to his usual self.

A week later, the stands of Madison Square Garden were packed with spectators who were looking forward to a martial arts frenzy. Some were obvious fans, sporting costumes or makeup in cosplay of their idols. Others who had no idea who was competing appeared just as enthusiastic. Not wanting him to be distracted by her, Jun had made it a point to be somewhat reserved around strangers all week, not speaking to anyone. Even when Lei approached her before the tournament, she avoided making contact with him. "Come on, Kazuya," she encouraged under her breath.

The tournament was done in a round-robin style, and fighters of all sizes and martial arts disciplines began the climb to the title and cash prize. The first few rounds flew by and Kazuya was fast becoming an obvious favorite. The other leading contender was none other than Lei. As each round progressed, it became more and more evident that it would be Kazuya and Lei who would face off in the final fight.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, may I have your attention please!" the announcer's voice declared "We're now down to the semi-final rounds and it's anyone's guess which of these four amazing finalists will earn this title. The first fight will be Lei Wu Long versus Hong Fu and the second will be Mitsuhara Kazuya and Marshall Law." The first match was close, but apparently being younger and possessing more stamina gave Lei the edge over the Hong Kong cop and he finally knocked him out with a spinning kick. Kazuya's opponent was a younger Chinese man who bore a striking resemblance to Bruce Lee and even mimicked his fighting style.

As they prepared to begin, Marshall leaned in and snidely said, "So I heard you weren't able to beat my friend Paul." Kazuya's face barely registered any emotion but inwardly, he was preparing to destroy the arrogant man. "Cat got your tongue? No matter. Looks like it's going to be two Chinese fighters in the end anyway. _Whattah_!" He began posturing to goad Kazuya even further. At the sound of the bell, the two men hurled themselves at each other. Marshall got in a few backflip kicks in but upon landing, Kazuya slammed his fist down on his shoulder, knocking him down. Stunned, he got back on his feet and put his hands up. Letting out a kung fu howl, he charged Kazuya again and was about to deliver a series of punches when Kazuya grabbed him by the shoulder and smashed his forehead into Marshall's skull.

When he collapsed unconscious to the ground, the referee motioned for a time out while the tournament doctors examined him for concussion. Alternately opening each eye and shining a flashlight into his pupils, the performed a cursory neurological evaluation and spoke into the referee's ear. Walking out of a the ring, a moment later the emcee's voice blared over the sound system, "Ladies and gentlemen! Due to medical necessity, Marshall Law will not be allowed to continue this fight, therefore the winner of this round by TKO is Mitsuhara Kazuya!"

Law fans booed in disgust, but the rest of the crowd went wild, cheering on the teenage ingenue. As they entered the ring for the last round, Kazuya smiled at Lei, who felt a chill cut through him. The smile was devoid of any sort of sportsmanship and it gave him the distinct impression that Kazuya was looking forward to causing him pain. The two bowed to each other and waited for the bell to signal the start of the fight. Not sure what would happen, Jun had to remind herself to breathe as she waited to see who would be the victor.

"Fight!"

Snarling, Kazuya lunged at Lei who missed getting a vicious punch to the face by about a half centimeter. Without stopping, he continued to fire punches and kicks at the beleaguered Lei who was trying his best to deflect his attacks. _There's no way that he can keep up this pace_, Lei thought as he blocked the seemingly endless barrage of blows. Incredibly, Kazuya seemed to gather more and more momentum as he fought. Unable to take any offensive action, Lei finally lapsed in maintaining his guard and seeing the opening, Kazuya jumped at the opportunity and delivered a double-sided face kick to Lei, knocking him to the ground. About to finish him off, he was stopped by the referee, who again waved over the doctors to assess Lei. Though his face was somewhat bruised, there was no serious damage done and he apparently was only dazed by the blow.

"The winner and champion of this mixed martial arts tournament by TKO is Mitsuhara Kazuya!" The referee held Kazuya's arm in the air as the onlookers cheered.

Jumping to her feet, Jun joined the audience in their exuberant applause, but halted when she saw that something seemed to be wrong with Kazuya. As the announcer continued to speak, he grabbed his head and fell to his knees.

It felt like two spikes were being driven into his brain and holding his head, he screamed in pain.

_It is time. Behold the new form that I bequeath to you._

"What's happening to me?" he cried in Japanese. Falling down on all fours, he saw that the skin on his forearms was turning a dusky shade of purple. "What the – ". Before he could finish, black claws sprang from his nail beds sending electric shards of pain down his fingers. A sudden tearing pain in his back caused him to arch backwards and he felt something ripping through his skin as a set of enormous black wings grew out of his shoulder blades. Now panicking in earnest, he thought there was no way for the situation to become any more alarming when the same searing pain he felt when the episode first began tore across his temples. Clamping his hands to the sides of his head, he was horrified to feel horns underneath his fingers. The sound of the crowd murmuring in amazement did little to drown out the sounds of his agony and when the doctors attempted to approach him, he savagely threw them off to the side. Running down the stands to see what was wrong, Jun dropped to his side and looked into his eyes. "Jun," he begged. "_Tasukete_!"

"Somebody call an ambulance!" a voice barked.

* * *

_oi: _hey

_ohaiyo:_ good morning

_tasukete_: help me


	19. First Break

Natasha Lim shut her door and sat down heavily in her chair. Looking at the clock, she saw it was about 2 AM. "What is it with this city and the end of the month?" she wondered aloud in annoyance. Whenever the city's homeless population needed three hots and a cot it seemed that Bellevue's ER was they first place they hit up. Leaning back, she tilted her head to relieve her tense neck muscles when her door flew open.

"Doctor, you better get out here. EMS brought in a live one," the harried nurse informed her.

Grabbing her white coat and following her out the door, she could already hear the commotion coming from the ER holding area. "What the hell is going on?" Quickening her pace, she made her way towards the ruckus and was surprised to see a young Asian man strapped to a gurney, screaming as he thrashed to free himself while a frightened-looking girl tried in vain to calm him. "Who is this?" she demanded of the EMTs who had wheeled him in.

"Brought him in from Madison Square Garden. We got a call from some doctors who were providing medical advice during a martial arts contest saying that this guy flipped out and was screaming like he was in pain." The tech scribbled a few things on the clipboard he was holding and handed it to his partner.

Not understanding, Dr. Lim looked at him with confusion before asking, "If he's screaming in pain, why did you bring him to the Psych ER?"

Regarding her as if it she had just asked him the stupidest question in the world, he retorted, "Because this guy is fucking _psycho_. Can't you tell just by looking at him?" Rolling his eyes irritably he waited for her to relieve his team.

Finally noticing the policemen flanking him, she continued, "And why is NYPD here?"

Sighing in frustration, he shot her another annoyed glance. "Lady, do you have any idea how many people it took to get this guy into the gurney? He's the fucking winner of the martial arts contest he was in and he's hella fucking strong. We needed the cops because he was starting to become dangerous. He was taking swings at anyone who came near him." Sure enough, upon closer inspection, the EMTs and the officers were sporting numerous angry bruises and cuts in various places.

Trying to regain her composure, she looked at the boy. "Did he say what it is he's screaming about?"

"You got me," he shrugged. "He's only speaking in Japanese and apparently his girlfriend / sister / companion / whatever she is doesn't speak a fucking word of English." Looking around impatiently, he added, "Are you going to call security any time this century? We'd like to get the hell out of here if that's alright with you." His voice dripped sarcasm.

"Oh, of course." Finding the nurse, she shouted, "Get me 5 of Haldol, 50 of Benadryl and 2 of Ativan, stat."

"PO or IM?" she asked.

"Intramuscular of course! Are you going to try to put pills in his mouth? We need to get this guy calmed down so we can figure out what's going on with him." Running back to her office, she phoned hospital security and alerted them to the situation in the Emergency Room. "Oh, and uh…you might want to bring a lot of guys," she warned. Hanging up, she went back to see how the patient was doing and found that he was still shouting at the top of his lungs while the unfortunate nurse tried to hold him still long enough to inject the sedatives into his shoulder muscle. Twenty minutes later, he was fighting just as hard to free himself and the security guards seemed reluctant to get too close to him. Frowning, Dr. Lim ordered, "Give him another."

"He's only sixteen," the nurse objected. "That's a lot of antipsychotic."

"Well apparently his body isn't, because that didn't even faze him. Give him another! I'll be back in a moment." Crossing Bellevue's Emergency Room, she pulled aside one of the ER physicians. "Dr. Bakshy, I'll need you to medically clear a patient for me in an hour or so."

Looking up from his chart, he smiled pleasantly in spite of working the graveyard shift. "I'm pretty free now," he said amiably.

"Well, the patient is going to need a moment to…calm down?"

"Ah, an end of the month special?" he joked knowingly.

"I don't know, but we're trying to get him sedated." She cringed as another scream cut through the air, causing the other patients to look around.

Hearing the banging and yelling at the other end of the ER, he raised a brow and asked, "Is that him?" She nodded solemnly. Smiling warily, he turned back to his chart and quipped, "This should be fun. You gotta love working in Manhattan. Call me when he's more sociable."

Another twenty minutes had passed and though the sedatives had taken the edge off the adolescent, they had not completely knocked out the patient. The nurse gaped at him, still struggling to free himself. "Dr. Lim, he's _fighting_ the sedation!"

"I'm really hoping he loses that fight," she replied dryly. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally appeared to have gone to sleep. "Send him to Dr. Bakshy to be medically cleared. I'm going to inform the inpatient ward that they should be preparing to receive the patient afterwards."

A few minutes after she had signed out the patient to the nursing staff on the inpatient floor, the ER intercom startled her as it announced, "Security to X-ray! Security to X-ray!" Sprinting towards the X-ray room, Dr. Lim saw four people unsuccessfully trying to restrain the agitated teen. "Give him another PRN!" she shouted. Grabbing the syringes, the nurse gave him his third series of injections and his physiology finally gave in to the effects of the drugs as he slackened in the staff's arms. "Get me a medical bed and four-point restraints!" Looking at his drowsy form suspiciously, she amended, "And in case he gets a second wind, get a fourth dose ready _now_."

An hour later, she went to find out the results of the boy's workup. "Your kid is quite the specimen," Dr. Bakshy whistled in wonder while flipping through his results. "He's in great shape and physically, there's nothing wrong with him except some old healed fractures of indeterminate age in the upper extremity."

"He's medically cleared?" Dr. Lim peered over his shoulder and scanned over the lab values and imaging results with disbelief.

"CMP, CBC, UA, Head CT, even his UTox – all within normal limits. It's not infection, it's not pain, and it's definitely not drugs."

"Then he's psychotic," she mused. "His workup is completely negative so it can't be delirium."

"You've got a winner," he agreed with a grin.

She looked over at the sleeping boy. "He's so young. I hope it's not what I think it is."

* * *

The shrill sound of Maria Chan's pager jarred her awake. "Shit!" she swore under her breath. Rubbing her eyes, she looked at the screen and sighed when she saw it was the inpatient floor. She hated taking weekend overnight calls and couldn't wait for residency to be over. "Just my luck, have to do a fucking admission at 4AM." Trying to shake off her drowsiness, she stuffed her feet into her crocs and headed for the inpatient unit.

When she unlocked the door to the inpatient psychiatric ward and walked in, she was accosted by the nursing staff. "Oh my god! Dr. Chan, what _took_ you so long? This guy is going berserk and we don't have any PRN agitation meds ordered for him yet!"

"That's just fabulous," she muttered irritably. "Where is the patient?"

"In the seclusion room. He's in four-points."

Even more annoyed at this information, she snapped, "If he's in four-points, then why are you in such a hurry to get PRNs ordered?"

Equally annoyed, the nurse shot back, "Because he's getting ready to break out of them as it is."

"They are the _leather_ four point restraints right?"

"Yes, Dr. Chan," was the tight-lipped reply.

Unnerved by the frantic atmosphere of the unit, Maria quickly ordered the medications and then went to get a peek at the instigator of all this attention. Peering into the seclusion room, she saw a young Asian man trying with all his might to break out of the leather restraints, shouting unintelligibly as he did so.

"That was after _three_ sets of PRNs," the nurse who appeared behind her reported.

"Did you say three?! Holy shit!" She stared through the window in disbelief.

"Now do you see why we were so anxious for you to get those orders written?"

"Okay, well, uh…I guess I'll try to get the history and do the physical." This was only her sixth month as a psychiatry intern and Maria had yet to deal with a truly violent patient, so naturally she was a little nervous.

"You won't get much out of him. He only speaks Japanese." Checking in on him one more time, the nurse made her way back to the nurse's station.

Figuring that it was pointless, Maria went back to the nurse's station as well and pored through the chart. "Where are the ER notes and the EMS notes?"

"Haven't put them in yet. Here." The clerk handed her the sheaf of papers without looking up from what he was doing.

Pulling out a blank history and physical form, she began recording what little information there was on the agitated teenager. "You've got to be kidding me," she said under her breath as she read the report. "This guy's got schizophrenia written all over him…"


	20. Altered Mental Status

"Lisa? I've assigned you a new patient." Lisa Yanagi walked behind the nurse's station to where her senior resident was standing. "This one should be interesting, apparently he only speaks Japanese."

"Really?" Lisa pulled his chart from the rack and looked at the history and physical. Skimming the first page, she marvled, "Oh, wow. You gotta be kidding me."

"I know, right? Apparently he kept Maria busy all night long. Anyway, morning rounds are going to start in a few minutes so I'll see you in the conference room." Grabbing some charts, he reached for his keys. It was a real pain sometimes – the constant locking and unlocking of the unit doors.

"Okay. I'll be there in a moment, Bruce." Flipping to the legal papers section, she saw that he had been declared involuntary ER status, which signified that the hospital was legally entitled to keep him against his will for fifteen days. "A good old 9.29," she drawled, quoting the number of the statute. "Not for long you won't be. You sound more like a 2PC to me," she thought aloud. If he was found to be dangerous by two certifying physicians, they could hold him for an extra forty-five days. The New York Mental Health legislation was somewhat unique in that aspect. Only one of two criteria could result in involuntary admission – danger to self or danger to others, and after what she'd read she had a pretty good idea which one he had met. Taking his chart, she peeked into the seclusion room to get a glimpse of him. Lying in the bed strapped down by his ankles and wrists, he seemed harmless enough. And only 16? She found it hard to believe that it took as many people as had been reported to bring him down.

"Attention all staff, attention all staff. It is now 9AM and morning report will begin in the conference room. All staff please gather in the conference room, thank you," Bruce's voiced floated over the intercom.

Sitting down at the oval conference table, the unit chief, Dr. Goldberg took out some paper. "Okay, shall we get started with the new admissions? Mondays are a bear aren't they?" He uncapped his pen and waited for someone to begin reading.

Opening the chart, Lisa replied, "I can start." Everyone turned their attention to her as she read the admission note. "Kazuya Mitsuharu, 16 yo Japanese man, ER involuntary status, insurance unknown, marital status unknown, residence unknown. Chief complaint is written as 'Violent, agitated behavior' per EMS. Patient is a 16 yo male with unknown past medical history and psychiatric history who was brought in by EMS after an unknown person called 911 from Madison Square Garden. Patient had apparently finished competing in a martial arts tournament which he won…" All eyebrows went up at this. "…when he suddenly became agitated, screaming in Japanese and behaving violently towards anyone who came near him. Patient was so threatening and violent that NYPD had to be called in order to subdue him." More sounds of surprise followed. "Upon arrival to the Emergency Room, patient had to be placed in four point restraints and was given multiple PRNs for agitation and attempting to abscond from the hospital, eventually requiring placement in locked seclusion at 4 AM. Pt was medically cleared prior to admission and is considered to be extremely dangerous. No further history could be obtained as patient appears to be Japanese speaking only."

Flipping to the next page she gave a wry grin at the blank form and continued, "Everything else is written as 'unable to assess'. All labs were within normal limits. Chest X-ray, CT of head, all read as normal. Utox was negative for all substances. Physical exam completely unremarkable. His vital signs were all within normal limits as well. So, assessment is written as 16 year old Japanese speaking man with unclear psychiatric history brought in by EMS for violent, threatening behavior, possibly psychotic. Axis I – Psychosis Not Otherwise Specified versus Schizophrenia versus Schizoaffective Disorder. Axis II – Deferred. Axis III – None. Axis IV – unknown. Axis V – 25."

Turning to the other residents, Dr Goldberg asked, "So, what do you all think? Interesting case, huh?"

"I've never really heard of Schizophrenia in Japanese people," one resident remarked.

"If this is his first break and it's a chronic psychotic process, things don't look so good prognostically," another commented.

"True, the earlier the onset of psychosis, the harder it is to treat the psychosis," Dr. Goldberg mused. "It's going to be hard to figure this out without any collateral information. According to Dr. Lim, there was a girl with him. If she comes and visits, let's see if we can get anything else in the way of useful information from her. In the mean time, Lisa, you and I will go see the patient alone. Having the whole treatment team in the seclusion room might be too overstimulating for him."

"Of course."

"How is your Japanese anyway, Lisa?"

"Semi-fluent," she admitted modestly. "We can always call a Japanese translator if we need to."

"Perfect. This should be an interesting case."

When the morning report had been completed, Lisa walked into the seclusion room with Dr. Goldberg behind her. "_Ano, sumimaseng, Mitsuhara-san_," she began.

Hearing Japanese, Kazuya looked up at the woman leaning over his bed. "_Nanda_?" he slurred groggily.

Continuing in Japanese, she said, "My name is Lisa Yanagi, I'm a doctor. Can you tell me where you are?"

"I don't know," was the stuporous reply.

"You're in the Bellevue Medical Center's Inpatient Psychiatry ward," she explained. "Do you remember being brought here?"

"Psychiatry ward?" he mumbled. He tried to sit up but realized that he was tied down. "Why am I tied up?" he demanded, his head clearing slowly.

"Do you remember what happened last night after your tournament?" she pressed on.

Kazuya thought back to the night before. "Yes, I got scared because something was happening to me."

"And what happened to you?" she asked patiently.

Looking at his bound wrists, he answered, "I transformed into something yesterday night – something horrible."

Lisa nodded attentively. "Tell me more about that."

"I – I turned into some sort of monster." The memory of his transformation caused him to shake visibly in the bed.

"A monster?" She tried her best to keep her face neutral.

"Monster, or devil, I don't know. My skin changed color, I grew claws and wings and it caused me a lot of pain," he said flatly.

Visual hallucinations. That was interesting. Usually people heard voices when they hallucinated. "Was this the first time this experience happened to you?"

"Yes," he nodded. "Please, why am I in a psychiatric hospital?"

"We just want to make sure that you're okay. You accidentally hurt quite a few people last night, probably because you were in pain," she hypothesized.

"Oh, I see." He still looked uncertain and shot Dr. Goldberg a wary glance.

"Can I call you Kazuya?" She continued after he nodded again. "Kazuya, do you have any psychiatric history? Hospitalizations, medication trials, an outpatient therapist?"

He seemed confused by her question. "No, of course not."

"Any family history of psychiatric illness?"

_Do not answer her. This woman is trying to hurt you. She will use what you say against you._

Narrowing his eyes, he regarded her with suspicion. "Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"We just like to have as much information as possible," she said soothingly.

_That is a lie. Do not tell her anything. You have no reason to trust her._

Lisa noticed that he seemed to be listening to something. "Kazuya, are you hearing something right now?"

_You cannot tell her about me. Do not answer._

"No," he lied, but she could see by his face that he was listening to something in his head. _So he does hear voices_, she thought to herself.

"Well, in the meantime, we have some medication that will help you feel a little better." This was always the hard part with involuntarily admitted patients. "Will you take it?"

_They are trying to paralyze you with drugs. Do not be fooled by her solicitous exterior. It is an act. They wish to harm you._

"I do not need medication. There is nothing wrong with me," he declared defiantly.

_Yep, no big surprise there,_ she noted silently. "Well, something strange did happen to you last night. This medication might help keep it from happening again." This line of reasoning never tended to work, but the attending physicians liked for the residents to give it their best shot anyway.

"No, I will not take anything," he repeated.

Looking over her shoulder at Dr. Goldberg, she saw him nod and continued. "Kazuya, is there anyone we can talk to get some more information about you? Family, friends, anyone? Do you live in the United States?"

The voice burned in his ears. _They are trying to find things to use against you. Do not give them any advantage._

"No, I won't allow it. Take these things off me, now!" Thrashing, he rattled the bedframe loudly, causing curious staff members to peek in.

"Maybe in a little while, Kazuya. I have to make sure that you don't try to hurt anyone else again." Lisa hated having to treat people admitted against their will. It never made for a good therapeutic alliance.

_You see? They __**do**__ want to imprison you here. How often must I be proven right?_

"_Kso_!" Straining harder, he continued to shout, "Let me go!"

Before leaving the room, she told him, "I'll come and chat with you some more later on, okay? I'll be your doctor while you're here. Remember, my name is Dr. Yanagi." Closing the door, she let out a sigh of relief. "Oh god, am I glad that's over."

"So, what did you think?" Dr. Goldberg asked.

"Well, he's guarded, paranoid, blunted in affect, and I think he was responding to internal stimuli while I was interviewing him," she assessed.

"He was definitely hearing voices," Dr. Goldberg agreed. "So what do you want to do?"

"He really does look like early-onset Schizophrenia. I say give him Haldol. If he refuses to take it by mouth, we can give it IM, and maybe give him the depot formulation eventually." Tilting her head to one side, she looked at her attending. "What do you think, Dr. Goldberg?"

"Sounds like a good plan, although I am betting he won't take PO. Just check his CPK levels periodically to make sure they're not too high. With all the IM injections he's been getting, I'm sure it's already gone up a little." After signing the chart, he handed it back to her with a smile and prepared to go see the next new admission with her co-resident when someone called to her.

"Dr. Yanagi?" The unit clerk turned to her, her hand covering the mouthpiece. "The new patient's girlfriend is outside and is requesting to see him. It's not visiting hours. Should I let her in?"

"Perfect. There's your collateral information," Dr. Goldberg said in a satisfied tone. "Let me know what you find out."

Unlocking the door to the ward, she motioned for the girl to come in. "_Ohaiyo_," she said with a smile. The girl looked so relieved that she spoke Japanese that she let loose a torrent of sentences. "_Matteh_, _matteh_," Lisa warned, trying to slow her down. "You have to go slower, I'm only partially fluent."

Taking a moment to collect herself, the girl tried again. "You are?"

"Dr. Yanagi." Lisa extended her hand. "And you are?"

"Jun. Kazama Jun." Her eyes flitted nervously across the ward.

Hoping to put her at ease, Lisa tried to make her voice extra friendly. "Are you Kazuya's girlfriend?"

She looked down. "Yes. Is he alright?"

"We're not sure yet. We're a little concerned about what we heard and what we're seeing from him," she explained.

"Oh." Looking tentatively at her, Jun asked, "What do you think is wrong with him?"

"We can't be sure just yet. We don't have enough information and he doesn't want to talk to us. It would be of great help to us if you could fill me in on what he's like typically."

Nodding timidly, Jun agreed. "Where should we talk?"

"Come this way. My office is over here."

* * *

_sumimaseng_: pardon me

_nanda_: what

_kso_: shit

_ohaiyo_: good morning

_matteh_: wait


	21. Putting the Pieces Together

Indicating the chair across from her, Lisa sat down and faced Jun. "Any information you could give me will be extremely helpful, so I appreciate your speaking with us."

"Of course." She fidgeted nervously in her seat, obviously uneasy.

"Where do you both live?"

"In Japan." She corrected herself. "Actually we used to live in Japan but for the last six months we've been traveling all over Europe."

"And where are Kazuya's parents? Does he have brothers and sisters?" When she seemed uncomfortable, Lisa, urged, "Jun…"

Reluctantly, she admitted, "His mother died, I don't know how, but it was when he was a baby. And his father…His father…"

"Go on."

"Please don't tell him I told you this, he'll hate me!" she pleaded.

"I won't tell him," Lisa promised solemnly.

Staring at the floor, she said, "I met Kazuya when I was five. He was vacationing near my home with his grandfather who was taking care of him. We were playing together and all of a sudden, Kazuya's father picks him up and carries him to the edge of the cliff that I lived by. He told him that if he was truly his son, if he threw him down that he would be able to climb back up." Her voice shook. "And then, just like that, he threw him over! I don't know how, but somehow he survived and he came to stay with me and my father, but he's been acting stranger and stranger with every passing year."

She hadn't expected such an interesting story. "How so?"

"Well, the year immediately after the accident, sometimes I'd catch him saying things like, 'Who's there?' or 'Who said that?'. It became more frequent the year after that and then he decided he wanted to go train in a karate dojo in another part of Japan. He was away for almost nine years before I saw him again. I thought he was just visiting but it turns out that his sensei kicked him out of the dojo. I'm still not sure why. Kazuya said it was something about him being evil and then he spent the next two years wandering Asia participating in different fights."

Lisa was trying to take down what she was hearing as quickly as possible. This was probably one of the most interesting cases she would ever see in her life. "And what was he like when you saw him after nine years?"

"Different. So Different." Her voiced revealed that she was troubled deeply by the change.

"Go on, tell me more."

"He was so…I don't know…"

"Withdrawn?" Lisa offered.

"Exactly!" Jun was amazed that she seemed to already know what she was thinking. "And he spent a lot of time mumbling to himself."

"Was he talking as if someone was there but no one was?"

Jun's eyes widened. "Yes! How did you know?"

Lisa jotted down a few more sentences and looked at Jun. "Has Kazuya ever spoken about hearing voices when no one else could hear them?"

Her ability to describe Kazuya's behavior in spite of never having met him was beginning to frighten her. "Yes. He…he said that it was a devil or spirit that talked to him, but only he can hear it because the voice is inside his head."

"And what does this voice tell him?"

"He says that it takes care of him, that he's a friendly presence."

"And how old was he when he first met this 'devil'?"

"It was after he was thrown off the cliff by his father."

"I see. Does he seem suspicious or paranoid at all?" she asked, scribbling a few more notes.

Jun thought for a moment. "You know, come to think of it, he was always closing his door and when I asked him certain questions, he seemed to not want to answer."

"Interesting," Lisa noted. "And his demeanor, his expressions, were they atypical in anyway?"

"Well, he seemed kind of…apathetic or indifferent."

"Flat?" she suggested.

"Yes, that's a good way to describe it." Unable to continue in this vein, she nervously asked, "Doctor, what is going on? What's happening to him?"

Unsure whether or not she should inform the girl of what was at the top of their differential diagnoses, Lisa decided it was only fair to at least warn her of the possibilities, but given the extra history she had learned, the outlook was not good. "Jun, do you know what Schizophrenia is?"

"What's that?" she asked blankly.

"It's a psychiatric condition caused by an overproduction of the neurotransmitter Dopamine. The excess Dopamine causes a psychosis that is characterized by paranoia, disorganized thinking or catatonia. The patient often has severe delusions and a loss of what we call reality testing. They tend to see or hear things that don't actually exist and sometimes these visions or voices tell them to do disturbing things."

Jun recalled how Kazuya refused to answer her when she asked what he and his demon talked about. "How can you tell if someone will have it?"

Lisa leaned back in her chair. "Well, often times the psychosis, which is referred to the positive symptoms is preceded by a long prodromal period of negative symptoms. These include social isolation, neglecting aspects of self-care such as eating, bathing, changing clothes and things of the like. Sometimes the person becomes extremely suspicious and also appears to have a flat, somewhat emotionless appearance. Does this sound like Kazuya to you?"

Nodding, she looked disturbed. "But this would mean that he began becoming sick at the age of five. What does that mean? What caused him to get sick like this?"

"This type of illness is genetic, but often severe stress can precipitate a psychotic episode. Unfortunately, as he was so young when it happened, this means that he will likely have an extremely severe form of Schizophrenia. The younger the age of onset, the worse the prognosis and the greater the resistance to the treatment."

Tears began to form in her eyes. "There must be some way to treat it!"

"Well, there are medications but unfortunately they have a lot of problematic side effects to a lot of patients have a hard time taking them." Seeing her expression, Lisa knew that Jun would require some time to process the news she had just been bombarded with.

Drawing in a shaky breath, she steadied herself. "Can I – can I see him?"

"Of course." Standing up, Lisa motioned for Jun to follow her and led her to the seclusion room.

Seeing Kazuya bound to the hospital bed, she winced and turned back to her. "Is that really necessary?"

"For his own safety and the safety of our staff, I'm afraid so," she affirmed grimly.

Walking to the bedside, Jun tentatively called, "Kazuya? Kazuya. It's Jun. Are you awake?"

Hearing her voice, he turned his head and startled both women by trying to sit up. "Get me out of here!" he shouted.

"I'm trying, Kazuya," she said in an attempt to appease him. "But the doctors are worried that you may be ill."

"I'm fine! The people here, they want to hurt me. You have to get me out of here. You can't trust them!" He continued to strain against his bonds.

"I'll do what I can," she promised. Leaving the room, she turned to Lisa. "I can see what you mean. I'll come back later and try to convince him to stay a little longer, but I don't know if it will help."

"Thank you, that's much appreciated."

Scribbling some information on a scrap of paper, she handed it to the doctor. "Here is the suite number and telephone of where I am staying. Please call me if you have any further question or news of any change in his condition."

"Absolutely." She tore the bottom half of the paper off and wrote the unit number. "If you have any questions, you can always call the floor and ask for me. Again, it's Dr. Yanagi."

Bowing deeply in gratitude, Jun softly whispered, "_Domo_," and left the ward. As she stepped outside, she saw a person who looked like Lei walking out of the emergency room. "Lei?"

"Jun? What are you doing here?" He was holding a cold pack to his face.

She went to where he was standing. "I was going to ask you the same."

"Your boyfriend gave me quite the thrashing," he said somewhat sheepishly, pointing to the bruises on his face. "The doctors wanted me to come and get a head scan to make sure that nothing had been ruptured. What are you here for?"

"I came to see Kazuya. He's…there's something wrong with him."

"He didn't seem too well last night," Lei agreed. "Where are you headed?"

"Back to my hotel."

"I'll walk you there," he offered cheerfully.

Jun wasn't sure that it was such a great idea but Kazuya wasn't there so she simply nodded. "Lei, can I ask how old you are?"

"Twenty. How about you?"

"Sixteen." She suddenly felt unbelievably childish next to him. "Almost seventeen."

Lei grinned at her obvious embarrassment. "No worries. Where are your parents?" He knew he'd erred when her face fell.

"They're dead," she said softly. "My mother died when I was very little and my father was killed about six months ago in an earthquake."

"So you're all alone?" he asked incredulously.

"Well, not all alone. Kazuya takes care of me." Again she felt a twinge of remorse when she thought of how Kazuya had acted towards Lei.

Whistling in admiration, he remarked, "Wow. Must be quite an adventure for the two of you."

When they'd arrived at her hotel, she was caught off guard when Lei said, "Well, I guess I'm staying with you."

"What?"

He laughed at the frightened look she gave him and explained, "I'm staying here as well. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I wasn't scared," she shot back defensively.

"Of course not." Putting his hands in his pocket he cocked his head to one side. "Well, Jun. I guess we part here. I'm in 2407 if you ever feel like you need some company."

"Uh, thanks," was all she could come up with. "Uh, see you around."

"_Ja-na_." He waved pleasantly and got into one of the open elevators.

* * *

At the inpatient psychiatric ward at Bellevue, Kazuya was doing his utmost to conceive a way of freeing himself. Oddly, he hadn't had much help from his demon since he had arrived on the unit. _Worthless_, he thought to himself. _Always bothering me when I don't need him and now that I actually could use his help, he's nowhere to be seen_. What was even more aggravating was the constant stream of people who shuffled in and out of the room to monitor him. It was starting to make him feel like an animal of some sort being put on display.

"Hey Lisa!" Turning at the mention of her name, Lisa saw one of the other residents beckoning to her from his office door and went to go join him.

"What's up, Chris?" She closed the door behind her. Sometimes the patients tried to sneak in after them in order to attempt to escape the unit.

He grinned mischievously and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial level. "So, any more fun info on the nut job in the seclusion room?"

"Chris!" She shot him a disapproving glance. "Keep your voice down, you ass!"

"What?" He shrugged innocently. "I'll bet you twenty bucks that this guy has a long history of behavior consistent with schizophrenia and I'm dying to know if you found out stuff that supports my guess."

"He does have a really interesting history," she had to admit.

"Interesting as in fascinating or interesting like a bad haircut?" he asked.

"Both actually." She shook her head sadly. "Poor kid's had a really rough life."

Looking at his watch, Chris suggested, "Wanna tell me the good parts over lunch?"

"Isn't that a HIPPA violation?" she reminded him.

"Hey, so long as we don't use names, it's all good," he said, unconcerned.

She couldn't help cracking a smile. Chris was well liked for his quirky sense of humor. "Fine. But don't talk to anyone else about it."

He feigned appearing wounded by her warning. "Hey, I'm all about doctor-patient confidentiality," he promised, making a grave face.

"Okay, okay," she laughed. "Come on. I need some calories."

* * *

_domo_: thank you

_ja-na_: see you


	22. Left Behind

After a few days of being in the psychiatric ward, Kazuya began to better understand what he would have to do in order to be released. When they offered him medication, instead of refusing it as he had done before and getting it by needle instead, he found that if he accepted the medication that he could tuck the pill between his cheek and gum and then spit it out later. He also made it a point to be much more passive and agreeable and eventually, the staff removed his restraints and he was allowed to walk about the unit with more freedom. When the staff insisted that because of his illness it was important to continue to take the medications, he nodded in agreement and feigned concern about the status of his mental health. His careful control of his behavior paid off and within a week, the doctors were contemplating discharging him from the unit. Lisa however, was not so optimistic.

"I don't know." Lisa's tone was doubtful. "I mean, yeah he's not agitated anymore, but he's still got a lot of negative symptoms – the being withdrawn, flat, impoverished and all."

"That may be all we can do for someone like him," Dr. Goldberg replied. "You have to remember, if he's been having positive symptoms since the age of 5, his schizophrenia will always be difficult to treat. Remittance of the positive symptoms may be the best we can accomplish for him, and he _has_ been compliant with his treatment."

"I just don't think that the odds of him following up once he's discharged are very good," she added. "I mean, he doesn't strike me as the kind of guy who would go regularly to see a psychiatrist, especially in light of his lack of a permanent residence."

Dr. Goldberg shrugged. "What can we do? We can't justify keeping him against his will any longer. The state of New York only has two criteria for involuntary admission to a hospital – danger to self or danger to others. He's not demonstrating either anymore so we really can't make a case to hold him."

"I suppose," she said, frowning. "But I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Welcome to practicing psychiatry in New York City," he joked.

Sitting Kazuya down in her office, Lisa informed him of her Attending's decision for his departure. "You could be discharged as early as tomorrow," she said. "We'll give you a prescription and you can follow up outpatient in our clinic until you can find a regular psychiatrist." She studied his face closely for his reaction.

"I understand. Thank you." His demeanor was still impassive.

Pausing momentarily, she asked, "Kazuya, do you really believe you have a mental illness?"

"I didn't before, but I do now." Faking a smile, he added for good measure, "You've all helped me so much and I'm extremely grateful."

She didn't believe him for a moment, but knew she was in no position to do anything about it. "Alright. We'll give you your prescription and a copy of your discharge summary tomorrow morning. Would you like us to call Jun for you and ask her to pick you up?"

"Please, I'd really appreciate it." He managed another small smile.

"Okay, I guess that's it then." Motioning to the door, she opened it for him.

"Thank you, Doctor." Standing up, he quietly left the room.

Picking up the phone, Lisa dialed Jun's hotel room. "Jun? Dr. Yanagi."

"Hello. Is Kazuya alright?"

"Yes he's perfectly fine. In fact I just wanted to give you some news. He'll be discharged from the hospital tomorrow morning. I thought you might want to come and get him." Lisa scrawled her signature on his prescription and dated it in advance for tomorrow.

"Oh, that would be wonderful! Thank you so much!" Her voice resonated with relief.

"One more thing," she amended. "It's not uncommon for patients to go off their medications and to forget to follow up with their doctor. He may need your help to do that."

"I understand. Thank you."

"Not a problem. I'll see you tomorrow." Hanging up, she turned to her computer and began typing her discharge summary.

Outside her office, Kazuya waited until he heard her hang up and casually walked to his room. _Stupid girl,_ he thought contemptuously.

_You know she helped them to keep you here_.

"Yes," he mumbled, after checking to see that no one was around. Gritting his teeth, he tried to calm the rising fury he felt towards Jun. Being angry was preferable to feeling hurt and betrayed.

_She has turned against you, given them information that they could use to keep you prisoner here. I told you before that she would cause problems for you. Now you see that I was right._

"Yes." He sighed with resignation and bristled as he heard a staff member walk by his room. When he couldn't hear his footsteps any longer, he allowed himself to relax.

_She will try to convince you that she is innocent, that she was only trying to help you. It is a lie. Do not believe her. She is in alliance with them and believes you to be dangerous. You must separate yourself from her. It is the only way._

Though the thought made him incredibly unhappy, Kazuya knew that his otherworldly protector was right. "I will." It was comforting to have his friend back.

_I am the only one you can trust. All others will betray you. _

Jun nervously waited outside the hospital for Kazuya to come out. When he finally did emerge, she ran to engulf him in a hug and was stunned when he made no attempt to do the same. "Kazuya! Are you alright? I was so worried."

He looked at her, unmoved as his eyes bored into her. "Yes, I bet you were."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what I mean!" he snapped. "You conspired with them to keep me there! How could you turn on me like that?"

Mortified, she took a step backwards. "Kazuya, that's ridiculous. I just wanted to make sure you were okay!"

"You told them things, didn't you? About me. I know you did." He glared at her from underneath knitted brows.

Trying not to let her guilt show, she averted her eyes. "It was just so that they could better help you."

"Liar!" he screamed. The passerby on the street turned to look at him curiously at his outburst. "You plotted to keep me there!" he hissed angrily.

Staring at him in disbelief, she cried, "You can't possibly believe that. That's crazy!"

Clenching his fists, he spat, "Yes, everyone's made it quite clear that they think I'm crazy. I just never thought you would buy into their lies." For a moment, the anger vanished and was replaced by sadness. "I thought you cared about me, Jun." He sounded so wounded. "I – I thought you loved me."

Fighting back a flood of tears, she reached for him. "Kazuya, I do love you! I care about you more than anything!"

Slipping out of her grasp, his harsh unforgiving expression returned. "No you don't, and I was stupid for trusting you."

"You don't mean that," she begged. Without answering, he hailed a cab and stonily motioned for her to get inside. Not wanting to upset him further, she meekly climbed in as he told the driver where to go. Upon reaching their room, Kazuya gathered his few things while Jun waited nervously to see what he would do next.

Shouldering his pack, he handed her his bank card. "I'll start a new account with my winnings from the tournament. You can use whatever's left until you can sort something out." When she didn't take it, he shrugged and tossed it on the floor.

As she stared at the card, all she could think was that this couldn't be happening. It felt like the worst nightmare she could ever possibly experience was being enacted in her waking life right in front of her. Feeling faint, her knees buckled underneath her and she crumpled to the ground. Too stunned to cry, she whispered, "Kazuya…you're the only person…I have left."

He swiftly turned his back on her, willing himself not to falter in his decision as his demon berated him further.

_Will you be weak and fall prey to her lies again? End this. Leave now and never look back. She has no part with us._

Though it tore his heart to walk out without meeting her eyes, he didn't want to risk wavering. Setting his jaw, he softly muttered, "Goodbye, Jun," and resolutely strode out the door.

It took her a minute to finally register that he was all too serious about leaving her forever. When the finality of his action sank in, she bolted to the nearest elevator and banged the button furiously, praying it would come. After ten seconds, she couldn't wait any longer and flew down the stairs to the lobby just in time to see Kazuya about to walk out the door.

At the concierge desk, Lei was preparing to check out when he caught sight of Kazuya exiting the building. What drew his full attention was that he was alone and Lei could almost feel the anger that radiated out of him. His distraction was interrupted by the hotel manager's voice. "And here's your card, Mr. Lei. We hope to see you back here soon."

"Oh, uh, thank you," he answered with an absent smile.

"KAZUYA!"

Everyone in the lobby, including Kazuya involuntarily turned to look at the young girl racing towards him. Collecting himself, Kazuya turned and was about to step into the revolving doors when Jun pulled him back by his arm.

"Kazuya, look at me!" she begged.

_If it will break you to look, then do not. Leave. Now. Do as I say, boy!_

Viciously shaking off her arm, he flatly answered without looking behind him. "Be a lady, Jun. Don't make a scene." Exiting the hotel, within seconds he had slid inside a cab and was lost among the thousands of taxis that ferried the city's population.

Jun felt frozen to the spot, trying to come to terms with the fact that she was devoid of family, friends, or even a familiar face in a foreign country where she didn't speak the language and the very real possibility that she would never see Kazuya again. Overwhelmed, she finally did lose consciousness and collapsed.

Running to her side, Lei picked up the unconscious girl and asked which room was hers. When they'd given him the information, he pushed the up button to the elevator with his elbow and waited. Looking at her face, he was startled to find that she had gone completely white. When the elevator doors finally opened, he shot a warning glance at some impatient patrons who attempted to get on as well and growled, "Get the next one." Upon reaching her room, he saw that she hadn't bothered to close the door so he walked in and laid her on the bed. At this point he'd never make his flight back to Hong Kong in time. JFK International Airport was simply too far away. As the point was now moot, he pulled up a chair and sat next to Jun and waited for her to come to.


	23. Forced To Begin Anew

"Jun."

Stirring in the bed, she turned to see Kazuya lying next to her. "Kazuya?" When he nodded, she threw her arms around him and hugged tightly. "Oh god, I thought you'd left! I must have been dreaming."

He kissed her on the side of her head and smiled. "No, I didn't go anywhere."

Burying her face in his neck, she sighed with relief. "I'm so glad." She felt happy tears spring to her eyes when he bent his neck to kiss her softly and pulled him tighter to her. Taking her hand, he slid it downward until it was resting on his swollen erection and when she began rubbing the shaft he slipped his fingers between her thighs. "Kazuya," she whimpered, her sentence cut off as he covered her mouth with his. Fumbling with his pants, she felt that she couldn't get them off fast enough until finally he sank his length inside her and began stroking her with agonizing ease. Having explored her body for the last six months, he knew well what made her weak and he bit her ear, growling as he leisurely fucked her. Driving her nails into his broad shoulders, her head snapped backwards as she cried out in release. He continued his rhythm unbroken, dragging out her pleasure.

She was about to come a second time when she looked at him and screamed again, but this time not out of pleasure. Caught in his gaze, she found herself looking into blood red eyes with slit-like pupils – all three of them. Kazuya's lips peeled back in a smile that revealed unnaturally long canines and two black horns sprouted from his lavender color skin. If that wasn't enough, the cruel black wings that adorned his shoulders completed the horrifying sight. Gripping her thighs with onyx claws, he licked the tips of his pointed teeth and began to groan excitedly, announcing his own orgasm. "Don't come in me!" she screamed as she fought to escape him.

"JUN!"

Sitting bolt upright in the bed, Jun blinked furiously and tried to make sense of what was going on. Looking at the side of the bed, she found Lei staring at her. "You were the one who called me," she breathed. _It was only a dream_, she thought with bittersweet relief.

Not knowing what just happened, Lei couldn't help gaping at the girl. One minute she looked like she was having a _very_ good dream and the next she was screaming as if she had just had the shit scared out of her. He felt more than a little embarrassed at having witnessed her response to the more pleasant half.

When the knowledge that she had dreamed the whole scenario finally sunk into her brain, Jun looked down and was horrified to see that she had wet the bed. "_Kso_!" Diving under the covers, she felt the small space instantly heat up, no doubt purely from the reddening in her face.

"Jun, come out of there," Lei ordered in a pragmatic tone, if slightly amused tone.

This was what Kazuya must have felt like when she interrupted him that first time. No wonder he didn't want to open the door. "Go away," she wailed. Though she never thought it was possible for someone to _literally_ die from embarrassment, the idea was not so far fetched to her at the moment. If she stayed underneath the sheets long enough, maybe she could suffocate herself to death.

Lei couldn't help a small smile. "Jun, you were dreaming, it's not big deal. I just want to know you're okay." His voice became more serious. "I saw what happened in the lobby. What's going on?" After a few minutes, either she felt less embarrassed or ran out of air, her head peeked out from under the blanket and she timidly looked at him, receiving a sympathetic look in return. "What's going on?"

Remembering that Kazuya had abandoned her, she promptly forgot that Lei had just witnessed her having a wet dream and put her face in her hands. His brow furrowed at her barely restrained sobs. "Kazuya left me. He's gone. I don't know if I'll ever see him again. I'm so scared." Behind her fingers, her voice shook.

Leaning forward, he gently pried her fingers from her face. "What happened?"

His kindness only served to rattle her further and a few runaway tears fell on the blanket, creating tiny dark spots where they fell. "I hurt him. I hurt him in the worst way possible. I was the one person in the world that he trusted and I violated that trust. No wonder he doesn't want to have anything to do with me anymore."

The dejected way she lowered her head saddened him. Only sixteen and alone in a foreign country – he couldn't imagine how scared she must be. Deciding that it wasn't his business to pry, he kept her hands in his and asked softly, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

The poor guy had gotten beat up because of her and he still wanted to help her. "Why do you care?"

"Why would I not?" he countered simply. "Would you do any differently if our situations were reversed?" He already knew what the answer was. "Can I ask you one thing though? Why would two sixteen-year olds from Japan be on their own in America? Where's your family? Do you want me to contact anyone?" When he saw her face crumple, he knew he'd erred royally.

"I have no one else," she whispered with resignation. "My family's all dead and Kazuya was all I had left."

Lei blinked in surprise. No wonder she was so distraught by his leaving. She was completely alone now. After looking at the floor for a while, he asked, "Want to get something to eat?"

"Huh?" His question seemed to come out of nowhere.

"I'm starving. What do you say we grab some lunch?" He cocked his head to one side and waited for her answer. "On me, of course." A genuine smile grew on his face when she nodded. "Great! New York certainly doesn't lack good restaurants. Ever had pastrami?"

Fifteen minutes later, they were seated in a large restaurant that boasted the best pastrami in the city. "Hope you're hungry," Lei grinned. Jun was too busy staring at the photos that lined the walls. "Recognize any of them?"

"No, not really."

She was more sheltered than he thought. "They're celebrities. Athletes, movie stars, musicians."

"Oh," was all she said before she was silenced by the biggest plate of sliced meat she'd ever seen. Apparently, buried somewhere in that pink pile were supposed to be two slices of bread. "Lei, what am I supposed to do with this?"

"Try to get as much of it into your tummy as possible," he laughed, seeing the horrified look on her face. "Don't forget to put mustard on it though," he admonished. Negotiating his own carnivorous treat, he nodded for her to begin and took a hearty bite. "Not bad," he mused, his eyebrows raised in approval. Jun couldn't help laughing at his pleasant personality. Chewing thoughtfully, he then said, "So, do you want to tell me about what it is that you've been through? You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable," he added quickly.

Picking at her pastrami, she leaned her chin on her hand and seemed lost in thought. "I guess not. What's difference would it make anyway? I have nothing left to lose." Finding that she was not at all hungry, she pushed her plate away. "My mother died when I was very young. I met Kazuya under the strangest circumstances. He and I were playing when his father came and threw him over a cliff, saying something about if he was his son then he would climb back up." Lei's face registered shock as she had suspected it would. "Obviously he survived and he couldn't let his father know that he was still alive so we took him in, my father and I." Her face saddened at the thought of her father. "Anyway, he came back to stay with us for a little bit and my father had to go to Kagoshima to see a relative of mine who was in the hospital. The next day, the hospital was destroyed in an earthquake and all my family members were never found alive."

"Oh my god." No wonder this poor girl was so shaken. He could hardly believe that she had gone through so much at only sixteen. The tragic nature of her story and Kazuya's sudden desertion of her made angry. He couldn't even begin to imagine how frightened she was about being alone.

"I'm sorry, I made you miss your flight too." Jun kept staring into her lap.

"What? Oh don't even worry about that. Jun, I'm so sorry for everything that's happened to you."

"Lei, what a I going to do?" she asked despondently.

No longer hungry, he also pushed his half eaten sandwich away. "Well, I have a couple of ideas." She looked up at his words. "Why not come to Hong Kong? I bet I can put you into contact with some people who could get you a job working with animals in some way. Like the World Wildlife Fund or something. That way you wouldn't be all alone and I'll introduce you to a ton of new people who are all very friendly." He sat back and waited for her to think about his offer.

Grateful for his kindness, she tried not to cry, feeling simultaneously relieved for no longer being alone and sad at Kazuya's loss. "Thank you, Lei. I think it's a nice idea."

"Well, let's get these leftovers to go and we can go see what flights have available seats on standby." He smiled when a little bit of life seemed to return to her face.

At JFK, Kazuya was settling into his seat after stowing his bags. As the flight attendants made their final checks in preparation for takeoff, he looked out the window at the ground crew who were loading the baggage. Though he was still angry at Jun for helping his captors, he couldn't help but miss her and wonder if she was okay. His regret at his impulsive decision was starting to gain momentum when his guardian's voice broke into his head.

_It amazes me that you can actually still think well of her. Have you forgotten the days you spent imprisoned in that hospital, chained like an animal and poisoned with drugs? She helped make that possible, if I recall correctly, and I would not be surprised if she was with that Chinese upstart as you sit here grieving for her. _

At the mention of Lei, Kazuya's face darkened and the occupant in the seat next to him gave him a sideways glance at the snarl that emanated from his throat.

_It is a waste of time to brood over her loss. In the end, it would have inevitably come to pass. More importantly, now that she is gone, we can focus our combined attentions on more important things and set about preparing your revenge._

Kazuya settled back into his seat and forced Jun out of his mind as the flight crew made their announcement. "Ladies and gentleman, thank you for choosing Korean Air Lines for your nonstop flight from New York's Kennedy International Airport to Seoul, South Korea. Our flight time to Incheon International Airport is approximately thirteen hours and our captain on this flight is Captain Im Jin Tae. In preparation for our departure, we are now making our final checks…


	24. A Father Falls

It had been six months since she'd come to stay with him, and though Jinpachi did notice an improvement in Sakura's level of comfort in his presence, she was still nowhere near as comfortable as he wanted her to be. Whenever he made tentative gestures towards her, however small, she shied away from him. Still, in spite of her reserve, he looked forward to going home every day and seeing her in his house.

Entering the front door, he called out "_Todai masu_," but got no response. Wondering where Sakura was, he walked upstairs and saw that the door to her room was open a crack. His curiosity getting the better of him, he peered inside and had to stifle a gasp when he saw that she was asleep on her bed in only a pair of panties and a thin tank top. The bottom of the shirt had ridden up her abdomen and the shadow of one of her breasts was clearly visible underneath the fabric. Staring dumbly at her unsuspecting figure, he found himself wishing that she would turn so he could see more.

Almost as if she could hear his thoughts, Sakura shifted in the bed so that her shirt was hiked up even higher and exposed a nipple to his eager eyes. One of her legs was bent and he could see how snugly the panties clung to her crotch. His mouth dry, he stared at the luxurious expanses of pale skin that she had hidden from him so assiduously for so many months. Suddenly, he felt transported back in time to when he first became intimate with Hanai and without thinking, he slowly opened the door and crept quietly to the side of her bed. Possessed of a mind of its own, his hand stretched out and stroked the inviting skin of her belly and once he felt the silky texture of her body, he couldn't bring himself to pull it away. His fingers continued upward, sliding up the flimsy material of her top, uncovering her chest and his fingers closed over one of her soft mounds.

Sakura moaned and arched her back slightly at his touch, pushing her breast deeper into his palm, and this only emboldened him to squeeze with more fervor. She responded by parting her lips and letting out a little sigh. Looking down, his resolve disappeared when he saw that the fabric between her legs had dampened and he bent his head down to smell her. His hands shaking slightly, he slid his fingers under the elastic of her underwear and tentatively slid them down a few inches. When she made no move to stop him and appeared not to have noticed, he gradually worked them down her legs and pulled them off. Putting his face near her hips, he heard his heart hammering in his ears as he inhaled her fragrance again and after checking once more that her eyes were still closed, Jinpachi gently nudged her thighs apart and began to taste her.

Tentatively extending his tongue, he sampled her and the flavor of it nearly caused him to unload in his trousers. Wanting more, he worked his tongue deeper, feeling a mix of pleasure and a dull ache in his testicles as they begged for release. Unable to stop, his tongue snuck between her lips and he began to suck on the wet folds while undoing his pants and pulling out his stiff cock. Stroking himself, he knew he wouldn't last very long and fished his handkerchief from his pocket to cum into. Involuntarily, she began moving her hips against him and he felt her begin to shake. Realizing that she was about to peak, he felt his sac contract as it prepared to eject its contents and frantically quickened the pace of his strokes. Suddenly, she bucked upwards and gave a stifled groan as she came against his tongue. The first wave of his orgasm had begun when to his abject horror, she opened her eyes and stared directly at him. Reflexively, he started away from her, but in doing so, he inadvertently forgot that he was still ejaculating and the remainder of his semen shot over her face and chest.

For a moment, she just lay there, her eyes wide with shock as his cum slid down her face. "Sakura, _Sumimaseng_! I-"

Her face crumpled and she pressed herself in fear against the wall adjacent to her bed. "Get away from me!" she screamed. "Get out!" Hiding her face, she began to sob hysterically.

Not knowing what to do, he did as she ordered and rushed out of the room. "What have I done?" he wondered aloud. Suddenly, he panicked as he realized that she would leave him after what had just happened. Unwilling to lose her again, he ran back into her room and kicked down the door to her bathroom. Standing in the shower, she screamed in fright and tried to cover her nudity with her arms. Seeing her like that, her skin flushed, Jinpachi was overtaken by a flood of emotions. Grabbing her by the waist, he held her close to his broad chest as she pummeled him with her fists. Ignoring her cries to release her, he hugged her tightly and pressed his face into her neck, her wet skin soaking his clothes. "_Aishteryu_, Sakura-_chan_," he softly told her. At his words, he felt the blows stop. Pulling away cautiously, he looked down at her face.

"_N-nani_?" The anger had completely disappeared from her eyes, replaced by confusion.

"I love you, Sakura," he repeated. "I have wanted to tell you for so long. I couldn't help what I did. Please, forgive me. I-I cannot bear the thought of you leaving me."

She stared at him in disbelief for a while then looked away. "You simply wish to use my body." Her tone was sullen but she made no attempt to break free from him.

He turned her to face him again. "That is not true at all! I want to take care of you, to be with you every day. I would marry you if you would have me."

"_Honto_?" Her voice shook, as did the rest of her body.

"_Honto_," he replied with a faint smile. "Please do not refuse an old man."

She looked down and he was stunned to see a small smile of her own. "I have grown to love you to," she admitted, "_demo_, I was afraid that you would only use me, and that you did not care for me beyond that. That once you had your fill of me you would discard me."

He scarcely dared to hope. "Is that why you turned me away every time?"

"_Hai_."

Taking in a deep breath, he ventured, "Then…will you have me? For your husband?"

She looked up into his eyes and smiled without reservation. "I will have you," she answered quietly.

Crushing her to him, he delighted in the fact that she now returned his advances and he kissed her fervently, feeling renewed energy lengthening his cock. "Let me make love to you," he begged. "I want so much to be close to you."

She nodded. "But you must be careful. I have never had a man before and…" He groaned when her hand stole to his crotch. "…you are so big. You will tear me apart."

"I will not hurt you," he promised between ragged breaths. Carrying her to her bed, he laid her on her back, her wet hair spread out on the pillow. Eager to be naked with her, he hastily stripped off his clothes and climbed atop her tiny body. Giddy with excitement, his hands roamed over every inch of her as she ran her own hands over his back. The thought that he would be the first and only man to enter her had him on the brink already and he positioned himself at her entrance, half ashamed of his desperate need to take her. Pushing into her, he was able to slide in a few inches before she grimaced in pain as he met resistance.

"_Itai_!" she whimpered. Tears began to stream from her eyes as she tried to relax her muscles to allow him further passage.

Unable to do anything but grunt her name in reply, Jinpachi continued to nudge further inside her. Frustrated by his lack of progress, he thought perhaps it would be easier for her if it were over quickly and he held her tightly as he forced himself past her barrier.

Digging her nails into his back, she screamed in pain. "_Itai_! Take it out! Take it out! _Yamite-kudosai_!" she begged.

Lost in sating himself, Jinpachi couldn't hear her cries as he reveled in how snugly she encased him and continued to thrust even as her blood stained the sheets underneath them. "_Kimochi_," he groaned, quickening his pace.

"_Onnegai_! Mishima-_sama_!" She tried in vain to push his large frame off of her.

"Sakura," he panted. "_Ikku_!" Grabbing her hips, he punched into her until their pubic bones were rubbing together. Her wails of pain were lost on him as he gave himself up to the pleasure of erupting inside her. When he finally came down from his climax, he felt her shaking underneath him and looked down to find her sobbing. "_Gomen_!" Hurriedly, he pulled out of her and felt a wave of guilt wash over him when she curled up into a ball and held her knees to her chest. Feeling awkward, he pulled the blanket over her and rubbed her arm as consolingly as he could until she fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

_todai-masu_: I'm home

_sumimaseng_: forgive me (formal)

_aishteryu_: I love you

_nani_: what

_honto_: really

_itai_: it hurts

_yamite-kudosai_: please stop

_kimochi_: feels good

_onnegai_: I beg you

_ikku_: I'm cumming

_gomen_: sorry

* * *

She slept until the next day, and not wanting to wake her, Jinpachi left for his office without disturbing her. When she heard the door close and was certain that he was gone, Misano opened her eyes and sat up, wincing a little in pain. The stitch the doctor had placed had caused her more pain than her own hymen had when it had been broken, but at least it convinced Jinpachi that she was still a virgin. As she stepped into the shower to clean herself off, she smiled at the thought that at least now Heihachi could makes use of it as well. The thought of the look of pleasure on his face when he heard that his plan had gone perfectly gave her a twinge of excitement. Finishing in the shower, she took extra care to make herself look presentable and set off for the café where she was to meet him.

When Misano saw him sitting in a small booth near the back, her heart quickened in her chest and she tried to maintain an even expression on her face as she walked towards him. "_Ohaiyo_, little one," he said smoothly. "Did you do as I told you?"

"_Hai_." She waited for him to gesture to sit before doing so.

"And?" He raised a brow expectantly.

Keeping her eyes lowered, she softly replied, "It proceeded exactly as you predicted." She gave a little shiver when she felt his hand on her knee.

"Well, done, Sakura-_chan_. You make me very happy."

Seeing him smile at her with approval made it much harder to look nonchalant. "I'm so happy."

Flashing her a devilish smile, he squeezed her leg and murmured, "And I think you deserve a reward for all your hard work. Would you like that?"

"I would. _Domo_." She kept her eyes subserviently fixed to the tabletop, but her smile was unmistakable.

Standing up, he took her by the elbow and steered her out of the café towards his father's home. The idea of soiling his woman under his own roof would make it all the more enjoyable for him. As he screwed the happy girl in his father's bed, he began detailing his plans for the takeover of his father's company and the thought of toppling him sparked his own orgasm as Misano's screams of pleasure filled the house.

* * *

_ohaiyo_: good morning

_domo_: thank you (formal)


End file.
